Dipper's Birthday Rumble 3
by ddp456
Summary: When Wendy gives Dipper a retro gaming system as a farewell gift, a new doorway to the gaming universe opens, entrapping Dipper inside. Now, the lumberjack princess must brave ancient worlds, all foreign to her, in order to find her boy. And along on the way, she just might discover how different her life would be without him. Cover art created by CodyLabs and Wild-Cobragirl.
1. Chapter 1

_"I feel like our ship's going down tonight.  
But it's always darkest before the light.  
And that's enough…  
Even if I say that it's over now.  
Even if we want to move on somehow.  
And just like that, we come alive…"_

"Whatever You Want," by P!nk

 **Chapter 1 – One Last Game…**

 _"Man, this is kinda like Déjà vu, isn't it?"_

Wendy Corduroy turned towards her pink-haired friend walking alongside her.

"I mean," Tambry noted, her eyes glued to her new smartphone, "Didn't we do something like this earlier this summer?"

"Kinda…" A sly smile formed on Wendy's freckled face. "And just like then, you have your nose stuck against a phone screen, being no help whatsoever."

"Hmph! Whatever…"

As annoying as it was to have Tambry's attention divided because of that stupid, little machine, Wendy could only sigh and offer a gentle beam. This was definitely a better alternative than watching her (and the rest of their group) be zapped into stone statues by otherworldly monsters.

It had nearly a week since the calamity attacked their quiet mountain town of Gravity Falls. The dream demon, Bill Cipher, and his nightmarish landscape dubbed "Weirdmageddon" had been wiped from the face of the Earth. Thankfully, life went back to normal for the two teenage girls, save for a few bad memories here and there. A shiver traveled up Wendy's spine as the feeling of helplessness of being transformed into tapestry came and went yet again.

The rest of Gravity Falls appeared to follow suit, as nearly all the town came out to participate in the annual "End of Summer" block sale. Lined up and down Main Street, dozens of residents set up fold-up tables and chairs, hoping to pawn off their unwanted goods on an unsuspecting rube walking along the road (or at the very least, trade treasures with each other).

Such was the case for the near penniless cashier hoping to find a truly special farewell gift…

 _"So, why are you doing this again?"_

"Huh?" Wendy looked up from a random box of junk she was shifting though.

"I said," Tambry repeated, barely breaking eye-contact with the screen inches away, "Why are you doing this again?

"Well…" Wendy stood up and brushed the gathered dirt from her jeaned knees. "I…" Her expression twisted as she paused to find the right words. "I dunno. I mean, it's just…feels right, y'know. It would be nice if I can give him something special to remember me by."

"Or…"

"Or what?" The lumberjane asked as she continued on with her best friend.

Tambry's thumbs jammed against the phone's touch-keyboard at lightning speed. "Or you could just tell him the truth…"

"Oh, not this again!" Wendy crossed her arms and rolled her emerald eyes.

 _"…about how you really feel…"_

"I did, Tambry!" Wendy insisted. "Back in the woods when it was just Dipper and me. I told him exactly _how things have to be_ , and he seemed totally cool with it."

"That's not the same thing, and you know it, Wen…"

Wendy groaned aloud, making several patrons look back towards the two girls passing down the street.

"Okay, then." Tambry challenged. "Care to prove me wrong?"

"Gladly…"

"If that were true, then why aren't you doing the same for his sister? You know, " _Girl-Dipper!"_

"Mabel." The taller teenager corrected. "But that's different. Mabel's great and everything, and a total blast to hang with, but with Dipper. It's…a bit more special. _He's my boy_.

"Boy-what?"

"Wha-?"

A thin smirk spread across Tambry's face. "I think you mean " _boy-friend!_ ""

"You know exactly what I meant!" The redhead pouted, tucking her arms deeper against her flannelled chest. "We've been through so much these last few months. We even led the charge against – "

"Careful…" Tambry held up a finger. "New rule, remember? Don't let your mouth get you tossed in " _ye-old-stocks_ "…again."

"Ugh! Don't remind me…" Wendy took a peek around, minding the town's most recent law before whispering to Tambry, " _you-know-who_ " and helped save the town! And I think Mabel would be able to get that."

"Of course she does." The goth agreed. _"We all do!"_

"You…do? Wait, who's "we?""

"Everyone you could think of…" Gripping her cell tightly with her right hand, the punk-rocker began to count off with her free fingers. "Me, the rest of the guys; especially Robbie." Tambry glimpsed at Wendy out of the corner of her eye, and mumbled, _"Thank heavens that's over with…"_

"But – "

Tambry interrupted and went on, "And not to mention how bad the kid gets razzed by his sister and the old man over you…"

"Get out!" Wendy exclaimed in outrage. "They do not!"

"Believe it, girl. All the time."

The clerk began to wonder, "Then, why wouldn't I heard something about it? I do work there, you know."

"Work" is an awfully strong word…"

"HA-HA!" Wendy responded mockingly. "Funny! Real funny!"

"And why do you think they keep you in the dark? The same reason they wouldn't dare to say it to you face-to-face: you'd kick their sorry butts up and down the street!"

"Darn tootin'" Wendy prided.

"Besides, that kid gets himself in enough trouble as it is, with ghosts and all that crazy stuff. I'm sure the last thing he'd want to do is bring more heat down on him."

Wendy paused to reflect. It wasn't like she never had to leap to Dipper's defense over teasing before.

"Look," Tambry's full attention went back to her smartphone. "I can see that this is buggin' you…"

"It's not – "

"Dude, I'm not even looking at you, and it's more than obvious _. Instead of going on and on with some great scavenger hunt for the perfect "good-bye" gift, maybe you should ask yourself why this "good-bye" means so you much to you…_ "

"It's…" Wendy cleared her throat after being caught off-guard. "It's easier said than done."

"Maybe it's _you_ making it harder for yourself. Think about it, Wendy. You goof off all day with Dipper at work. You help him out with his weird little experiments. Heck, I've never even seen another boy in house because of your dad, and yet, you guys haven't missed a single movie night yet.

"What can I say?" Wendy shrugged. "Dip's super small, so he's easily to smuggle in places."

"You should say that _he means a lot to you_ , genius! You'd probably never admit it, but you're going to miss all that aren't you?"

Wendy took a second to gather her thoughts. "So, what do you think I should do then?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"If you want my honest opinion," Tambry's trademark frown twisted into another smile. "I think you should find the kid a step-stool so he can actually reach to kiss you good-bye before getting on that bus…"

"Alright!" Wendy threw her curled fists down to her sides in a fit of rage and spun towards the source of her mockery. "That's the last – " She froze in mid-step as her eyes focused on something glimmering behind Tambry. _"That's perfect!"_

"Wha?" Tambry, still in flinched state, reopened her eyes to see Wendy hurrying past her and towards a table filled with clutter. From the top of the pile, the ginger plucked a small round device that looked almost like an old-school portable CD player. Its black plastic had chipped and faded with age. The see-though portion of the CD tray had been scratched up beyond belief. A tiny LCD screen at the very bottom was cracked straight down the middle. Strangely enough, it had a bit of hidden girth to it.

Wendy noticed a series of control buttons of the lower-front of the player. "Let's see: skip back, skip forward, play, stop, reset; wait, here's open." She flicked a fingertip against the button and the CD tray shot open, releasing a cloud of dust onto Wendy's freckled face, making her gag loudly. Tambry covered her mouth, to both keep the filth out and to hide her laughter.

"Yuck!" Wendy exclaimed between forced coughs, "It looks like this baby hasn't been cleaned in decades!" Taking a step back, she held the machine at a distance and gently blew into the open compartment, sending the remainder of the dirt flying. Once the air cleared, Wendy peered into the raised piece and noticed the shining CD lens to the upper right to the worn-out spindle. A warning had been etched below it, warning her in every known language to "NEVER TOUCH THE LENS."

After closing the CD tray, Wendy flipped the device, upside down, noticing an oval-shaped power button on its tip and two extension ports labeled "Control 1" and "Control 2." On the underside, a series of copyright information and regulations had been pressed into a black and white label.

"Okay," Wendy began to read aloud. "So, this little guy is called a " _Wega Multi-Wonder_." Despite noticing a slot for batteries, the teen saw that a power adapter was attached to its back end and led back to the table mixed along with several other unknown cables.

"This is awesome!" The high-schooler turned back towards Tambry with her discovery in the palms of her hands. "It's all sorts of perfect, right?"

"To be honest," Tambry's sights broke away from her the glowing screen. "I'm surprised I didn't notice it earlier."

"I think Dip's going to love it!" Wendy walked towards the table and began to wrap all the loose cabling up at neat as possible. "It may not seem like much, but he really digs old-time retro stuff like this. Heck, he spent half the summer carrying around that _super-bulky laptop_ , so he'll get a kick outta this!"

"Imagine that." Tambry mused as she went back to typing on her phone. " _A super-small, often forgotten toy that most people see as a hunk of junk, but yet, a select few can see its inner beauty_. Yep; absolutely no parallels drawn here."

Wendy ignored her friend as she searched around. "I wonder whose table this is?"

"A-hem!"

The green-flannel girl saw that Tambry reached out with an open hand.

"Wait? This table is yours?!"

"My folks, actually." Tambry explained. "But I'll be more than happy to take your barely-earned funds off your hands."

"Fair enough." Wendy dug through her pockets for her wallet. "Whatcha' want for it?"

"Hmm…I think…50 dollars would sound about right…"

"50 bucks?!" Wendy nearly dropped her wallet in shock. "That's highway robbery!"

"No," Tambry elaborated. "That's the added fee for "sentimental value.""

"Grr…" Wendy took a breath and regained her cool. She took a step forward and used her index finger to lower Tambry's phone. "How's about I make you a counteroffer?"

"I'm listening…"

Standing face-to-face with her friend, Wendy went on, "Here's what I'm thinking: I'll give you 10 bucks for the Wega CD-thingie, and as a bonus…" She paused, took a ten-dollar bill out of her wallet, and cracked her knuckles loudly so that Tambry would hear. "…I'll forget about how you've been ripping on me and Dipper all day long. Deal?"

Without thinking twice, Tambry took the money from Wendy's hand. "Pleasure doing business with you, girl," she replied sarcastically.

"Nah, the pleasure's all mine…"

* * *

"Now, I know it's not exactly what you wanted," Dipper hurried into Wendy's room as she closed the door behind them. "But I found this one movie in Stan's secret stash, and it really looks messed-up!"

"That's great, Dip…"

Wendy stood against her wooden bedroom door as she watched her devotee bounce about with an excited energy – something that didn't happen often – and yet, somehow she was one of the few (if not only) that could bring that out of his usually-gloomy interior.

For all the craziness said earlier, Tambry did have one thing right: _their remaining time was indeed limited, and when everything was said and done, Wendy was undeniably going to miss this. She was going to miss him._

As Dipper kicked off his sneakers and settled onto her fluffy bed, Wendy gradually approached him, trying her best to find the right words.

"…but before we start "Movie Night," there's – there's something I want to talk to you about."

Dipper, sensing the seriousness in his crush, scooted towards the edge of the bed, and let his noodle legs dangle. "Y-Yeah. Of course, Wendy. Is – Is everything okay?"

"Everything's cool. It's just that – "

"Is it the nightmares again? I'm still having them, too, but – "

"No, Dipper – just – just listen for a sec, okay?"

As asked, her little buddy went silent and remained as still as possible. Wendy turned towards her backpack and dug through it for her surprise. "Give me – it's here somewhere. C'mon! Aha! There you are!"

Confused, Dipper shifted to his side and tried to peer over Wendy's towering form to no prevail. He went back to position as she came back around with her arms tucked away behind her back. Dipper watched with a quiet awe as Wendy knelt down on one knee to meet him at eye level. To his surprise, he could have sworn that his crush was starting to blush slightly.

"Sorry about that," Wendy apologized. "Now, this might seem kinda cheesy, but I got you something…"

"Me?" Dipper asked. "But why?"

"I dunno." His partner in crime said with a sense of uncertainty. "I guess I just wanted you to have a cool keepsake to take home with you. Y'know; make you think of me and this place when you get down in the dumps…"

"Wendy, I – " Dipper's face fell as he came to a realization. "But – I don't have anything for you…"

"Pfft!" She blew her tongue between her lips. "Whatever! The way I see it…" Wendy gave him a love tap on his cheek with her free hand. _"You helped save the town, freed my family from being stone statues, and made sure I didn't spend eternity as a carpet. Kiddo, you and I are more than even!"_

She slowly bought her other hand around to her front. Dipper's eyes lowered to the ancient contraption resting in Wendy's palm. His natural curiosity taking hold, the young sleuth analyzed the player from every possible angle.

"This…" He flipped it upside down to see the label. "This is a Wega Multi-Wonder …" He looked up at Wendy with a blank expression.

"Oh, man…" Wendy's heart sunk into her stomach. _"He totally hates it! He probably thinks it's the lamest thing ever!"_

All of a sudden, Dipper's expression instantly changed. A wave of pure excitement and joy overcame him as he proudly clamped onto the CD player with both hands. "Wendy, I can't believe it! You got me a Wega Multi-Wonder!"

Before Wendy could react to his sudden transformation, Dipper leapt up from the bed and tightly wrapped his arms around her torso. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"You're…welcome…" The older teen took a moment to get past her initial shock. She shook her head clear and placed her hands against the back of Dipper's head. "I mean, you're more than welcome, little guy." Once Dipper let her go, Wendy couldn't help but ask, "Now, don't get me wrong; I'm glad you like it, but isn't it just some old clunky CD player?"

"Ah," Dipper proudly wagged a finger. "Looks can be deceiving." He turned the unit right side-up and used his hand to highlight a tab at the top of the machine. "You see this part here?"

"Yeah."

"Watch this…" He applied a bit of pressure, and with a somewhat rusty swing, the hinge collapsed into the system.

"Whoa?" Wendy's eyes grew wide. "I didn't know it could do that."

"Of course it can!" Dipper declared elatedly. "The Wega Multi-Wonder is a " _Multimedia CD-Rom Entertainment System!_ "

"Uh…" His not-so-secret love raised an eyebrow. "In English, Professor?"

"Wendy…" Dipper's smile stretched even further. "It's a video game system!"

"That little thing?" Wendy pointed at. "Hold on. I thought old-school games were big and bulky and looked like VCRs?"

"Not this baby. Maybe I can – " Dipper raised his head. "By chance, this didn't come with any sort of wiring, did it?"

Wendy held her backpack outwards, "Only a sea of 'em, chief."

Carefully placing his new item on Wendy's bed, Dipper began to nosily dig through the sea of wires. He murmured to himself with each new discovery. "Oh, yeah, that'll do nicely…"

Even with her height advantage, Wendy had to shift from foot to foot to try to see into the mess below her.  
"Find anything good?"

"Tons of stuff!" The small boy struggled with the tangles in his hands. "It may look messy, but I really want to show you – "He groaned with sight frustration. "- _something really great is hidden inside of that little thing._ I know that sounds kinda stupid…"

Wendy folded her arms as she watched her aficionado continue to work, easily able to see the irony in his statement, remembering Tambry said something similar earlier.

"Not at all, Dip. I know _exactly_ what you mean."

At long last, Dipper was able to free a series of wires from the mess in Wendy's knapsack. He scooped up the game system behind him, and headed towards the old tube television on her dresser. He immediately started to plug the foreign cables into it.

"Neat! Your TV has the right ports!"

"Just watch the antenna, please." Wendy asked. "I just got the signal down right. You don't know how hard it is to get reception in the middle of the woods!"

"I won't mess with it! I swear!"

After a few seconds, a new, upbeat tempo filled Wendy's room. Dipper stood back from the television screen and prided over a job well done. Wendy walked over to the dresser, watching a colorful, rainbow-esque logo spin wildly over the backdrop of the Milky Way Galaxy within the confines of the monitor.

"Wega CD…" She read aloud. " _Your entryway into a new dimension…_ "

"Yeah," Dipper said. "That was the company's motto to try to appeal to kids of the '90s."

"Heck, I'd bought something like this if I knew about it."

"Wendy," he laughed. "You _are_ technically a '90s kid."

"Boom!" The lumberjack princess pumped a fist into the air. _"Child of the best era!"_

"Well, of course." Dipper turned back towards her. "Why do you think people pay out the nose online for this thing?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Usually," Dipper went into detail. "The Wega Multi-Wonder goes for a few hundred in online auctions."

"A…few… _hundred_?!" Wendy stuttered and stared at the tiny game player in disbelief. Dollar signs flashed before her eyes for a split second, before she refocused on the grateful thirteen year old in front of her. Swallowing her guilt, she patted Dipper on the back. "That's…incredible, man!"

The two buddies watched in quiet awe as the images within the TV screen morphed and flipped around without rhyme or reason.

"So, how do we get this going?"

"What?"

"You know," Wendy pressed on. "You said we can play games on this, right? So, let's play already!"

"Um…" Dipper scratched the back of his head. "It's not that simple. I mean, we have all the wiring and even some controllers here, but we don't have any games for it."

"Boo!" Wendy hissed. "Lemme guess: the games are worth a ton of cash, too, right?"

"Some are." He admitted. "Remember, they stopped making this stuff even before you were born.

"Dude, are you calling me old?"

Dipper stuck out his hands and waved them, "No! No! I didn't mean – " He stopped as soon as he seen Wendy flash him a toothy grin. "Aha! You got me. But seriously, the games are really uncommon."

"Does that mean we're outta luck?"

"Not exactly." Dipper said with a hint of hesitation. "But…"

"But?"

"There is a way to get some games for us to play, but it's definitely a gray-area."

"Ooh!" Wendy rubbed her hands together. "I do love the gray-area!"

"Well," Dipper began to theorize. "The Wega Multi-Wonder was made before CD copy-protection was created…"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that we can basically download games from the Internet and they'll play like store-bought ones."

"Then, what are we waiting for? Let's get to it!"

"But, Wendy. It's not exactly…um… _legal_." Dipper rubbed his chin. "But at the same time, the majority of those game companies were shuttered decades ago."

"So, it's like a victimless crime?"

"I didn't say that exactly – "

"I know! I know! Gray-area!" Wendy lowered herself to Dipper's eye-level. "Listen, Dipper. I'll worry about that kinda stuff, and you worry about getting this thing off the ground. Besides…" She looked away as her own words struck harder than she expected. "Besides, _when's the next time you and I are going to have a chance to do something like this again?_ "

Convinced by his crush, Dipper nodded in agreement. "Alright, Wendy. We'll do it. This is what I'll need…

* * *

"Yes! Chalk up another win for me!"

"I can't believe it…" Dipper banged his head against the Pine-Tree comforter decorating Wendy's bed. "When did you learn how to do the special moves in "Fight Fighters"?"

Wendy placed her controller down. "What's that old saying? Oh, yeah. _"A gentleman never asks, and a lady never tells"_ …"

"That doesn't – " Dipper argued. "That's a totally broken analogy!"

She scoffed. "The only thing "broken" is your fighter on the ground over there." Lying on her stomach, Wendy leaned over and pointed at the K.O.'ed character at the bottom of the TV screen. "See? That's you, right? And he's out like a light! D-E-A-D!"

"Okay, and with that said…" He moaned and swung his legs over to the floor. "I think it's time for a new game." Dipper opened the Wega CD Player, popped the current disc out, and inserted another homemade game.

Once more, the two waited patiently as the psychedelic intro screen came to a standstill. The CD drive grinded loudly as it read the newly-received data. After a few seconds, a blue and white logo appeared against a black backdrop as a sing-sound effect blared through the television's speakers:

"WE-GA!"

"Man, all this load-time is the pits!" Wendy complained. "I don't know how people used to put up with it."

"Wendy," Dipper tried not to laugh. "There's loading in video games _today_!"

"But still!" She insisted. "Nothing is as long as this! It's almost like a lame-o version of torture!"

"No one said it was a perfect trade-off. It's called _Fight Fighters CD_ for a reason; crystal-clear sound in lieu for a brief pause between rounds."

"Uh-huh. That's interesting and all, Mr. History, but why don't you sit your butt back down and let me wail on you some more, okay?"

Zinged, Dipper returned to his seat on Wendy's bed. _"We'll see about that…"_ he uttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"I said, "Hey, look! The game's starting!""

Within minutes, the duo found themselves within a cartoony-kart racer. They selected their characters and raced countless laps, racing alongside a half-dozen of computer-controlled opponents. Halfway through the race, Dipper found himself caught off-guard by a random question.

"Hey, Dip?"

"Mmm-hmm?"

"You know I was kiddin' before, but I gotta ask: how come you know so much about this stuff? I mean, I know you like games and all, but you literally brought this back to life in seconds!"

Dipper blushed. "It's nothing really. To be honest, I was recently taking a page from Grunkle Ford's book, and doing some research – try to learn a bit of history about these things…"

"But why?"

He paused for a moment, while breaking eye-contact and returning his attention towards the glowing screen several feet away. "Because… _I can't help but think about all that weird stuff we went through at the arcade…"_

"Oh…" Wendy's mind instantly began to race. A flash of still images appeared before her; a literal nightmare made reality as she remembered being entrapped in a virtual world by a wicked hero turned villain, looking to draw Dipper into a twisted game of revenge.

Even worse, after making their escape, both teenagers were tricked and attacked by foreign forces of the gaming universe only weeks later. Through faith in each other and perseverance, they were able to send the wickedness back through and restore a brief peace to Gravity Falls.

 _"But, that shouldn't matter now, right?"_ Wendy thought. _"After all, I literally fought side by side with that Rumble guy during the assault on Bill's fortress. If that doesn't mean things are cool between all of us, I don't know what would."_

"It's just that there's so much we don't know about." Dipper illuminated. "Ford's journals never mentioned any supernatural activity from the arcade, so where did it all come from? And how – "

"Dipper," Wendy finally spoke up, her eyesight constantly switching between the TV and her crestfallen chum. If she didn't say anything now, Wendy knew he'd end up driving himself nuts over it. "You gotta listen to me on this. _All that craziness – it's over with_. Us getting rid of that triangle-freak saw to that. From now on, games and arcades are simply that; fun things to play and cool places to hang out."

Dipper glanced at his main squeeze with a sober realization before focusing on the task at hand. "Maybe you're right, Wendy. Maybe things are finally going back to the way they're supposed to be…"

"Tell me about it, buddy." Wendy felt a hint of relief seeing Dipper return to a calmed state. "Besides, it looks like you have bigger problems."

"Like what?"

With her hands wrapped around her control pad, Wendy used her chin to point ahead. "Like me about to leave your scrawny butt in the dust! See ya! Wouldn't wanna be ya!"

"WHAT?!"

Sure enough, Wendy's avatar sped pass his game-character on the now split screen of her TV. After an initial shock, Dipper bit his lip and jammed down on the acceleration button.

"What are you – that's not fair, Dipper! How are you doing that with the sparks comin' out of your kart like that?"

"It's called "drifting," Wendy. And it's not my fault you don't know how to do it. Besides," he flashed a snarky smirk. "I thought you knew all the moves…"

"You little – " The lanky cashier had to get serious. They were already through the last half of the final lap. Her cockiness could cost her the race, and with that, everlasting bragging rights. And when the going got stuff, Wendy could always rely on one thing to get the job done.

Without taking her eyes off the road, Wendy began to slightly lean over to the right of the bed, towards Dipper. Luckily the fifteen-year-old was still taller than her slightly younger cohort even with lying prone on her elbows.

"Huh? Wendy! Get outta the way! I can't see a thing!"

"I'm sorry…" She said without a trace of sincerity in her tone. "I just had to reach out and stretch these old bones. YAWN!"

"Wen – Mmm!" Frustrated, Dipper hopped to his knees and looked over Wendy's shoulder to barely be able to see the TV screen. Her cheap maneuver had cost him precious seconds.

 _There was no way he was going to let this stand._

"Hang on, Wendy!" He drew a finger towards the game from behind her. "What's that on the screen?"

She squinted her green eyes. "What's what?"

Before she knew it, Dipper reached over and tapped on Wendy's brown trapper hat, sending it downward and over her line of sight.

"Right there!" As Wendy shot up in reflex, Dipper slid under her right arm and began to catch up.

"You can't do that!" Wendy attempted to lift her cap while maintaining her grip on her controller. "That's cheating!"

"Really? _You're_ going to call _me_ out for cheating?!"

"You – " She finally regained her vision. "You're darn straight I am!" With only a fourth of a lap to go, Wendy knew it was "do or die" time. "You forget the golden rule here, kiddo…" The girl threw a gangly arm about Dipper's head and held him against her side. " _It's my house, so I make all the rules!_ "

"Not…fair…" The much-smaller adolescent struggled in vain. "But…have…to…make…it…" He tugged and grunted against Wendy's hold. After a few tugs, Dipper freed his head from her grasp, but at a price. His controller slipped out of his hand, dragging across the blanket and landing on the wooden floor with a loud thud."

"No!" Dipper watched helplessly as his character sped out of control and slammed into the nearest curving barricade. The vehicle exploded upon impact as a red X flashed on his portion of the screen.

"TOO BAD!"

"The game does have a point, Dip! HAHAHAHA!"

Dipper saw Wendy speeding down the open road; a smile stretching from ear to ear as victory was within reach. He turned his head to see Wendy's legs kicking about gently in the air. With a devious revenge in mind, Dipper skipped backwards and seized his sweetheart's shins in a death lock.

"What in the - ?"

Wendy spun around to see Dipper holding her red-and-orange stocking feet firmly against his chest. Four fingers dangled over her soles like protruding spider-legs. Her eyes instantly became saucers.

"You wanna cheat, eh?" Her pal threatened. "Let's see you win now…"

"Dipper! Don't you dare – GHAHAHAHA!"

Wendy let out a guffaw as Dipper exploited her most secret of ticklish spots without mercy. She bucked and heaved and kicked her legs as hard as she could, feeling the tiny speck being dragged about for the ride.

"W-WHOA!" Dipper exclaimed. Being bounced around wildly, he held on to Wendy's ankles for dear life.

Both teens stared at the TV, seeing that Wendy's car had merely swerved all over the road. She was still in the game.

"TEEHEEHEEHEE!" Wendy swallowed the giggles rising from her lungs. "Not my feet! Leggo my feet!"

"Never!" Dipper pinched a big toe. "Not until you crash, too!"

"But – BWAHAHAHA! B-But you still won't win! It'll end in a draw!"

"I…can…live…with…that…!"

"Well, I can't!"

Wendy fought against the involuntary mirth and forced her eyelids open. Using all of her willpower, she regained focus and used her controller to bring her player back into the center of the road.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Dipper scrapped the edges of Wendy's heels, making her foot bottoms twitch in reflex. "Just give up already!"

Wendy bit down on her lip to maintain control. "You…wish!"

He gently tugged on her pinkie toe as a distraction. "Crash! Crash!"

She dug her fingers firmly into the controller's curved edges. "Ain't…gonna…happen!"

The kart was mere yards away from the digital finish line.

"No! No! No!" Dipper raked up and down Wendy's feet, hoping to break the last of her concentration.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

The red car finally crossed the finish line. A miniscule driver donning a bright maroon speed suit hopped from the vehicle and hurried towards a victory podium where they hopped into first place and cheered.

"OH, YEAH!" Wendy exploded with a newfound energy, freeing herself from Dipper's attack. On her knees, she pumped her fists into the air and hissed into the atmosphere. "And the crowd goes wild! When no one believed she could do it, the young up-start Corduroy proves the world wrong, and goes home with the gold!"

"I still –" Dipper rubbed his face in shame against the cuddly blanket. "How did she - ?"

"Believe it, mister!" Wendy pounced on the fallen gamer, pinning his shoulders against the bed as she bragged. "I told you, Dipper! My house! My rules! Cheat all you want – "

"You cheated first!" Dipper protested with a laugh.

"Cheat all you want," she ignored him. "Tickle torture all you want. It doesn't make a difference. You take me on and – ' Wendy opened a closed fist. "BOOM!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Dipper tucked his arms and pouted. "BOOM" says the cheater…"

"And you…" Wendy climbed further and began to poke at Dipper's love handles; a tactic she often borrowed from his twin sister. "Speaking of, what…

"AHA!"

"…did I tell you…"

"GWA! Wendy! Don't!"

"…about tickling?!"

Dipper snorted as Wendy sat back up. Once her guard was down, he lounged at her with a whimpered roar and attacked her sides, sending her back into hysterics.

"NOOOOO! HAHAHAHAH!"

The buddies wrestled back and forth, spinning and twisting over one another across every corner of Wendy's bed. Their joined merriment echoed throughout the Corduroy household as their faces turned beat red.

As they flipped yet again, Dipper lost his balance as his backside tipped over the edge of the handmade frame. In a panic, he scrambled and reached out towards his crush. "WENDY!"

"Dipper!" Wendy rushed over and scooped him up in her arms. Now safe, their eyes met and the silliness of the situation struck them both. They exploded in a barrage of laughter for what seemed like an eternity until they became lost in each other's sights once again.

This wasn't the first time Wendy and Dipper were caught in an awkward silence. It was simply a part of _how things were between them, and how things had to be._ Yet, each secretly wondered if this would be the last time such an instance would happen ever again.

"Ah-hem!" Wendy cleared her throat. She broke the stillness as she often had to in the past. The limber female stretched her legs and dropped to the floor. Dipper sat up as Wendy walked to the door. She peeked down the hall to make sure the coast was clear.

"Hey, Dip. I'm going to get us some drinks. You stay here and hold down the fort, okay?"

He nodded, already understanding their agreed-upon system. Manly Dan refused to have boys of _any age_ alone with his daughter under his roof. If fate would have it, Dipper could always make a quick escape through the open window in Wendy's bedroom before trouble would brew. Within seconds, Wendy's footsteps faded into the distance.

 _"…Dipper…"_

His blood ran cold. Dipper searched the room, wondering if he was hearing things.

"What was that?"

 _"…Dipper…"_

He jumped up to his knees and twirled towards the TV. The victory screen from the kart racer no longer was displayed. Instead, a rolling screen of static repeated over and over in an endless loop.

 _"…Dipper…"_

Dipper crawled off the bed as he traced the familiar tone. He looked back at the doorway, to where Wendy left the room moments before. Perplexed, Dipper slowly made his way towards Wendy's television as it appeared to blanket him in a strange glow.

 _"…Dipper…"_

He glanced back at the door, hoping that Wendy would soon pop back into the room, allowing him to examine this oddity with two sets of eyes. But his natural curiosity took advantage. The warm light appeared to call to him, beckoning him to come even closer.

 _"…Dipper…"_

He gulped. An unknown force made him want to place his hand on top of the flashing screen. Dipper stared blankly into the monitor, daring not as much as to blink, as if hypnotized, and he called out in a hushed whisper, _"Wendy?"_

Suddenly, the static literally took shape and rose from the display. Before Dipper could react, it clamped down around his wrist and pulled the unsuspecting detective off of his feet and into the screen itself!

"WWWWWWWEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDYYYYYYY!"

* * *

Wendy stepped back in the room with an ice-cold Pitt Cola in each hand. "Here's your soda. Let's polish these off and get right back to – "

To her surprise, her bedroom was empty. Dipper was nowhere to be found. Even stranger, the television had been turned off as well.

"Dipper?" She set the beverages down and searched around. "Dude," she laughed. "You didn't have to hide. I told you that my dad and my brothers won't be home for hours!"

She received no response.

"Dipper?" Wendy opened her closet and checked passed her hung clothing. She moved her halfway-damaged hamper to double-check. There was nothing there.

"Playing around, are we?" Wendy asked teasingly, dropping to her jeaned knees and checked through the piles of junk under her bed. "Are you – THERE?!"

She saw only the garbage she accumulated throughout the summer months. As the moments passed, the silence became more and more unsettling.

"Dipper!" Wendy stood back up and used a more serious tone; the very same needed when her siblings misbehaved on her watch. "This isn't funny!" The girl pulled her door back to find nothing but a dusty corner. "I'm really not in the mood for hide-and-seek!"

As Wendy went back towards her bed, she noticed that Dipper's black sneakers remained unmoved from when he first arrived. A horrid thought went through her mind. "Oh, please. Tell me he didn't…"

She raced to her window, making sure not to disturb the crystal heart ornament guarding over it. Wendy let out a sigh of relief as she found it still closed. The image of finding a broken Dipper lying outside her bedroom window quickly passed.

"Dipper!" Wendy called out louder, trying to hide any worry from her voice. She returned to the hallway. "I swear if you're trying to scare me, you'll be in for such a pounding! I'm not even kidding!"

But he never did jump out at her. The concerned sales clerk appeared to be all alone in the cabin.

 _"…Wendy…"_

An almost-ghostly whisper filled the atmosphere, spending a chill down Wendy's spine. The TV turned off with a loud clicking noise, followed with an unnatural buzzing sound. The sensation made Wendy hop in place in fright.

"BAH!"

Her emerald eyes focused on the screen several feet away. Lines of static repeated in a continuous loop without beginning or end.

"What in the world…?"

 _"…Wendy…"_

Wendy took a cautious step towards the TV. "Dipper," she pleaded. "Please, please tell me that it's you messing around…"

The scrambled image began to bob and ripple, like a pond that had a pebble tossed inside. The waves within increased frequently, convincing Wendy to stand her ground at a safe distance from the anomaly.

Suddenly, a tiny hand, made up of what appeared to be the TV screen itself, became solid matter and spread its four fingers outwards.

 _"Wendy!"_ The echoing voice called out clearer than before. She would know that wailing anywhere.

"Dipper?"

Just as quickly as it appeared, the hand melted back into the curvature of the screen. One last cry escaped through the ether, only to be replaced by a calmed, flicking screen:

 _"Wendy! Wendy! Don't - !"_

"Dipper!"

Her stocking feet flew across the floor to the television. Wendy tapped and prodded the glass covering, finding no sort of opening or parting of any kind. "Dipper? Dipper?!" A new glowing light came from the right. She gasped as the Wega Multi-Wonder shone on and off like a display sign until it returned to its standard dull coloring.

Her nerves shot, Wendy collapsed back on her bed and lowered her head towards her knees. _"Get a grip, Wendy-girl! You – You gotta get a hold of yourself! This – that thing – whatever that was, isn't real. It can't be! "_ She snapped her fingers. _"That's it! I probably have heatstroke or something from being out in the sun all day! That makes total sense! I –"_

From the corner of her eye, Wendy spotted something that instantly brought her rambling to a halt. She leaned over and picked up Dipper's blue and white Pine Tree hat from the ground. The same fold in the middle; the same burn mark near the top. Wendy knew that there wasn't another in the world like this. Her hands began to tremble.

The unnerved ginger shot up, dug into her jean pocket, and retrieved her flip-phone. She flicked it open and scrolled through her list of contacts. Wendy jammed on the green call button, and held the receiver up to her ear, daring not to take her eyes off the spectacle before her.

"C'mon…" She pleaded. "Pick up already…"

"Uh…hello?"

"Tambry!" Wendy hid her anxiety, not wanting to alert her friend. "Hey! Um, listen, I need to ask you something really fast. Remember that weird CD player thing I bought off you for Dipper?"

"Oh, yeah. How did your little shadow like it?"

Wendy narrowed her sights on the video game system. "He, uh, he loved it! Seriously _, I can't get the poor kid away from it!_ Anyways, I – I mean, _we_ were wondering where did your folks find it?"

"Actually," the goth explained. "I put it there. Remember those two dorky brothers from school? The ones whose dad owns the Arcade downtown?"

"Y-Yeah…?" Wendy stammered, as her suspicions were slowly coming true.

"Well, they dropped off all this junk for me to sell because they said they didn't have time to do it themselves. Some of it was supposed to be broken scraps, and the other stuff were spare parts from when the place was being repaired by _that blue-haired guy. You know; the one you were crushing on hard?"_

"Wait…" Wendy asked for clarification. "You're telling me that the CD player came…"

 _"…from the backroom of their Arcade._ What's the big deal?"

Wendy's lower lip quivered in shock. The cell phone pressed against her head nearly slipped out of her hand. All of the air rushed out of her chest as she stared at the tiny electronic in absolute horror.

 _"Not again! It can't be happening again!"_

"…are you still there, Wendy? _Wendy!_ "

"I'm…here." The distraught teen replied. "I'm here, Tambry. Thanks for the info. Listen, I have to go now…"

"Hang on!" Tambry demanded. "I want to know how those creeps got my phone number in the first place. Did you have something to do with that?"

"Seriously, Tambry. I'll talk to you later."

"…because Robbie's getting mad over it and – "

*CLICK!*

Wendy forced herself to sit as her entire form filled with an uneasy tension. It was almost like she felt trapped in her own house with this possibly-demonic machine. She could leave, but didn't have the heart to leave Dipper behind like this.

However, Wendy didn't have the faintest idea on where to go from here. This didn't make any sense. How could this be happening? They defeated all of the evil monsters from the gaming dimension, and sent them back from whence they came. And didn't the town's weirdness stop when the two Stans destroyed that Bill-guy?

But here she was – the polar opposite of what happened earlier in the summer. Dipper was trapped within the confines of her TV, and he was calling out for her to save him!

 _"But he also said, "Don't." Why would he tell me not to help him? Maybe he didn't want me to get stuck inside there, too…"_

Either way, Wendy knew what she had to do. No matter what mysterious terrors lied in wait for her on the other side of the television screen, she had to follow Dipper into the game. It was the only way to bring her favorite dork back home.

But where to begin? Wendy started to make a battle plan in her mind. She reopened her cell. "It'll be okay. I'll get a hold of Mabel and Soos, and definitely Ford. They'll be sure to lend a hand and – "

*BEEP!*

Wendy looked at the new sound stemming from the TV. A new screen had appeared. Neon green text was placed within a same-colored circle against a pitch-black background. A ray of light spun in a complete clockwise motion like the arms of a clock.

"GAME READY TO BEGIN!"

"NO OTHER PLAYERS WILL BE ACCEPTED IN 6 SECONDS!"

*BEEP!*

With the passing of another beep, the countdown timer dropped to five seconds.

"Ah, crap!" Wendy jumped to her feet. "There isn't time to call for backup!"

*BEEP!*

 _Four seconds…_

She jumped into her lumberjack boots and snatched the handheld axe from beneath her bed, twirling it in her fingers and securing it to her belt.

*BEEP!*

 _Three seconds…_

A desperate idea formed in Wendy's mind. She threw open her closet and found a swindle of rope on the floor. The lumberjane used to carry it around when trying to scale the highest redwoods of the Gravity Falls Forest. Wendy wrapped the rope around her waist and tied it in a knot.

 _Two seconds…_

Wendy took a knee and secured the other end around her bedpost. She gave it a few quick tugs to make sure that her anchor to the real world was more than secure.

 _One second…_

She ran towards the TV and nudged the screen, finding that it had no response. "Are you kidding me?" Wendy smacked it harder. "How do I get you to go – "

The Wega Multi-Wonder had begun to flash again. The brightest light came from the Start button on the nearest controller. Wendy picked the pad up, and after a brief pause, jammed down on the button.

"Player 2 – START!"

 _"Hang on, Dipper…"_ Wendy felt her body become incredibly light. The whole world around her seemed to vanish, save for an everlasting white radiance.

 _"I'm coming!"_


	2. Chapter 2

_"Cry far away, as we reach for the day.  
Blasting our way through the punishment and the pain.  
Reach for the world as the sky begins to fall.  
Rising through the darkened ashes, praying that I'll see you all."_

"Operation Ground and Pound," by Dragonforce

 **Chapter 2 – Twinkle Little Star.**

 _"Ugh…where am I?"_

 _Dipper Pines opened his eyes, finding that his entire world was a blur. After a few moments of rubbing his face clear, he gasped at his current surroundings._

 _The small boy found himself sitting on the floor of an oversized cage. Countless iron bars circled around him in an endless loop. A thick chain was attached to the top of the enclosure, reaching up towards infinity. A strange spotlight shone down over him, almost like he was some type of trophy on display._

 _Growing claustrophobic by the tight quarters, Dipper crawled on his knees towards the door and shook it. It wouldn't budge in the slightest. He griped the bars of his jail and stared into the distance, viewing nothing but everlasting darkness for miles on end._

 _"Hey!" Dipper rattled the bars even harder. "Is someone – Is anybody there? Let me outta here!" With each thrust, the tiny sleuth could make out a daunting, echoing sound coming from beneath him. He dropped down and reached over the edge of the cage, using his hands to guide his way._

 _A minute later, Dipper found what he was looking for. He narrowed his sights on the new discovery. A heavy-duty padlock was snapped around the front bars, ensuring that escape was near impossible._

 _He rested his head against the cool metal. "I can't believe – wait!" Dipper pulled back and began to dig into the numerous pockets of his vest. "Oh, where is it? Where is it?" After watching his redheaded crush break her way out of several jams over the summer, he decided to invest in a starter lock picking kit. Wendy tried her best to give Dipper lessons, as did his Grunkle Stan did for her, but it was definitely an "art" that the thirteen-year-old needed more practice with._

 _It would be that little experience that could be his last hope at escape from this place._

 _"Looking for something?"_

 _Dipper raised his head to see someone standing amongst the shadows. An arm stuck out, into the light, with the beginner's lock picking kit in its grasp._

 _"Hey! That's mine!" Dipper demanded. "Give it back!"_

 _"Pfft!" The mysterious figure scoffed. "Yeah, right, kid. Like I'm going to do that." It tossed the kit over its shoulder and deep into the eternal darkness. "No, I think you'll stay exactly where you are. I like that way better…"_

 _"Who are you?" Dipper squeezed the bars of the cage tightly. "And what do you want from me?"_

 _"Oh, I got exactly what I wanted," his abductor bragged with great pleasure. "And as for your other question…" The stranger stepped into the light and smiled. A horrified Dipper scrambled back to the other end of the cage on his hands in an attempt to keep as much space as possible._

 _"No! No! No! It can't be you! It just can't!"_

* * *

"Ugh!"

Wendy grunted as she landed hard on one knee. The light leading her through the television screen had vanished, leaving the young rescuer in a stunned state. Holding a hand against her head, Wendy blinked rapidly, trying to bring the world around her into focus.

As her eyesight returned, the first thing that Wendy noticed was that the tension around her waist had lightened. She pulled the knotted-off rope around to see that the link connecting her to the real world had been severed completely. Wendy held the piece of smoldering cord, seeing that it had been perfectly burnt down the middle, leaving a few embers behind.

 _"Brilliant idea, Corduroy. Truly a stroke of genius on your part…"_

"What sort of blasphemy is this?!"

The outcry made Wendy raise her head. She had been dropped into an eerie room that resembled a throne room of sorts. Shining silver columns were placed all along black and white checkerboard flooring. Half a dozen masked guards stood on each side of her, decked out in white space armor straight out of a cheesy '80s sci-fi flick.

A few yards away, a seemingly-demonic figure rose up from his throne of dark marble. _The towering figure sported a majestic onyx robe with a set of golden mail laced over. A long blue and red cape draped behind his every movement. His thinning, skeletal face poked out of a skull-like helmet with a curved, sharpen horn on each side._

The man lurched forward, _using a titanium cane with a mysterious golden topper for support_. "Who dares enters my chambers unannounced? Are you aligned with the rebellion scum plaguing my kingdom?"

"Hang a sec," Wendy innocently waved her hands as she tried to make it back to her feet. "I can explain. I'm just trying to – "

Suddenly, she felt someone shove her back down. One of the guards had forced her back into a kneeling position. "Show some respect, young fool, when in the presence of _the Great King, Lass-_ "

The henchman was interrupted as Wendy seized the hand placed on her shoulder, and flung its owner over her head. The guard slid on the slick floor, only to stop when colliding into the three-step staircase leading to the throne.

"Hands off, creep!" Wendy ordered. "Didn't your mom ever teach you about placing your hands on a lady?"

Enraged, the leader pointed his staff at Wendy. "Spoiled brat! You wish to make a mockery of my command?! Guards! Seize her at once! Place her in irons!"

"Hey, wait!"

Before Wendy knew what was happening, the remaining eleven sentries rushed towards her. The closest one went to grab her right arm, receiving a direct, stiff jab in the face for his trouble. He flew across the room.

"You don't have to do – "

Dodging his fallen comrade, another servant raced to Wendy's left. The teen swept the ground with a lanky leg, knocking her attacker flat on his face. His heavy helmet cracked against the polished ground.

"Idiots!" The tyrant roared. "Take her! Take her now!"

"If you'd only listen – "

As Wendy went to stand back up, she was tackled by a barrage of loyal militias. Despite her struggles and wild thrashing, the girl found herself pinned firmly against the ice-cold floor. The shouts and cursing of the King's army rang in her ears.

"Get off me! What do you think you're – arrgh!"

*CLICK!* *CLICK!*

Wendy felt her wrists being brought together as something was snapped around them. She was no longer able to separate her hands. Her boot-covered ankles experienced the same pinching an instant later.

Having captured their prey, the sentinels regained formation, as two remained to hold Wendy upwards from under her arms. She looked down to see a set of manacles around her wrists. The shortened chain between them kept her hands at chest-level. A matching pair of fetters had been set upon her feet, preventing her from taking as much as a step forward. If not for the soldiers holding her, the cashier would have slumped back to the ground.

 _"I'm lucky I can stand like this, yet alone be able to fight back. This is anything but good…"_

"HA!" The ruler laughed at Wendy's plight. "Fight as you may – you can never defeat my forces."

"Really easy for you to say, pal." Wendy shouted back without a hint of fear. "The odds were 12-to-1, and your cowardly butt was hanging back while these guys did all the work. So, yeah. Go ahead and brag, you wussy!"

From beneath their masks, Wendy could hear the entire battalion gasp in horror. They all looked to their monarch, waiting to see how he would respond to such insolence. To their disbelief, the elder began to cackle, somewhat amused by his newest conquest.

"You call me…" He held a golden gauntlet against his heart. "…a coward?" His laughter stopped as he plunged his walking stick into the hard earth. A strange warble began to flow through the throne room.

 _"What is that noise?"_ Wendy was dropped to the floor, landing roughly on her knees. "Ow! Hey, watch it!" She looked to her left and right, seeing that every single one of her assailants had backed away from her to a safe distance. She turned back, noticing that the king's eyes had become a glowing-blood-red. A spark of electricity formed at the top of his decorative cane.

 _"Oh, me and my big mouth – "_

*KRAK!*

A bolt of lightning shot out of the ornament, striking Wendy a split second later. She instantly fell to the floor, her entire body paralyzed from the blow and gone limp. Her green eyes rolled back into her head as she drifted into a composed unconsciousness. And yet, the voices of her attackers seemed to follow her:

"She's still alive, m'lord. What should be done with her?"

"Hmm… Have her ready for transportation. This brave soul will soon learn that there is a fate so much worse than death. MWAHAHAHA!"

* * *

"GAH!"

Wendy jumped up out of a sound sleep. An uncanny, metallic roar shook the world around her. An unknown sense of vertigo turned her stomach sour.

"What's – What's going on?!"

She turned her head back and forth, discovering that she was all alone in some type of transport unit. The setup reminded Wendy of what would be found on a standard plane, save for the fact that all the big, comfy seats were replaced with uncomfortable-looking, backless benches. The walls and ceiling were covered with thousands of flashing lights, spinning dials, and pulsating circuity.

Wendy groaned. Her head still throbbed from the lightning attack. The tips of her fingers and toes continued to buzz numbingly. She looked up to see an open doorway a few yards away led to parts unknown.

The lumberjack princess went to stand up to make her exit, but she was instantly pulled back down.

 _"Huh? What gives?"_

Wendy's ankles, locked in the heavy restraints from before, had been secured between the bars of the bench she was sitting on. She shuffled and kicked her feet to no prevail. There wasn't any way she could break the chain wrapped around the stool's leg welded to the floor.

She peeked down at her hands on her lap. They, too, were still shackled tightly together. In an attempt to escape her predicament, Wendy moved her arms towards her side, where her trusty axe was attached to her belt. However, due to the way her wrists were bound, she discovered that the weapon was just out of reach.

 _"Crap! How is it I always end up like this? I swear, these game-makers gotta be sexist or something…"_

Not to be discouraged, Wendy pulled her hands upwards the top of her head, just beneath her trademark trapper hat. With a little effort, she was able to pluck a bobby-pin from within her long auburn locks. Wendy carefully began to bend it into a custom lock pick.

"Careful, careful…" She took a deep breath, and tried to insert the bent pin into the keyhole of her left wrist cuff. The awkward, forced positioning of her fingers only made Wendy's task even harder.

 _"Steady…"_ The escape artist pressed down harder as she twisted the lock pick. _"Steady…"_

With a misguided thrust, the pick slipped from Wendy's fingers. It bounced off the floor and landed several feet away, well out of the range of the chained adolescent.

"Dammit!" Wendy threw her hands down in a tantrum. She stomped her boots and yanked against her binds in vain. "Dammit! Dammit! Dam – AAH!"

Her angular frame convulsed violently, leaving Wendy in an exhausted slump. She gazed upwards, seeing that _a strange armored guard before her. Unlike the soldiers from before, its overly-obtuse body made it more than obvious that it was a machine. The head was a gray oval cylinder with two vertical red lights serving as eyes. All of the joints of its arms and legs were made round circles. A huge, blinking circular chamber on its chest, marked with the number 17, served as its chest._

The robot aimed its weapon, a tipped electrical prod, directly at Wendy's chest. "Still yourself, flesh form," it ordered in a tinny voice. "Or else…" The top of the stick gave off a quick electric bolt. "…I will be forced to do so for you."

"Why am I here?" Wendy asked, setting her hands back down. "What is all of this?"

The iron officer relaxed its stance. "You have been deemed a traitor and threat to the Great Empire. The king has sentenced you to a lifetime of hard labor at the _Baya Malay Prison_. Once we reach the surface of the planet _Palma_ , you will be immediately transferred to your new occupation. Enjoy."

"Now, wait a minute!"

The robot took no heed of Wendy's protests, as it slowly made its way back to the front of the ship.

"Come back here! I didn't do anything wrong! You can't do this to – WHOA!"

Being set next to a window, Wendy caught of a glimpse of the atmosphere outside of the transport. In the depths, she could see two planets lined up within orbit _. The closest was a much larger brown-tinted world, as if it was extremely dry or barren. At the end of the galaxy, a smaller light-blue planet gave off an icy appearance, where one couldn't make out even the slightest sign of life._

 _And below her, Wendy could see the ship gradually making its descent towards a lush green world filled with grand oceans, hardened mountains, and rich azure skies_. She stared at the sheer majesty of it all; it almost took her away from her current situation.

As Wendy took in the emptiness of space, she thought of her missing partner in crime. Was that creep on the throne behind Dipper's disappearance? Was he even in this world? Or this universe? The more Wendy thought about it, the more depressed she became.

"Oh, Dipper…" She rested her forehead against the window. The weight of her shackles served as a constant reminder of reality. _"How can I save you when I can't even get myself out of this mess?"_

"Subject escaped! Return to your cell at once! Return – "

Wendy was awoken by the sound of twisted metal. The head of the robot guard that shocked her minutes before came tumbling through the front exit. It continued to roll across the floor until it stopped at the tip of Wendy's boots.

A low snarl echoed through the ship, spreading goosebumps across her spotted flesh. Wendy could make out the footsteps of someone – or something very heavy coming closer by the second. A pair of dark-green eyes flashed out from the shadow of the entrance.

A golden-furred beast stepped in her line of sight. Its face was hidden behind a rich, thick mane. Despite this, Wendy could spot the razor-sharp fangs pointing out of its mouth. Noting that the creature was nearly as big as a horse, she saw it flex the two gigantic wings stemming out of its backside. A lavish, furry tail trailed behind waved with every movement.

"Man…" The teenager rechecked her surroundings, hoping to find some unseen way to escape her bonds and the approaching danger.

The animal's long-tipped ears turned towards Wendy's direction. It heard her moan! It slowly made its way towards her bench. The long claws on each of its four paws scratched against the sturdy solid floor, making Wendy wince in reflex. It licked its curved lips in anticipation of reaching its prey.

Wendy's eyes switched continuously between the impending threat and her shackled feet as they tugged and jerked for freedom. She dared not even breathe; the only sounds heard on the ship were the growls of the monster, and that of her chains lightly scrapping beneath her seat.

 _"It's no use! I'm stuck tight!"_ Wendy shut her eyes and prepared for the worst. _"I guess this is the end …"_

*MEW!*

"What the -?"

Something was gently nudging against Wendy's ankle. She reopened her eyes to see that the enormous brute had vanished from sight. The cashier peeked down to see _a small, big-eared cat in its place. While it had the same colored fur as the other creature, it was missing its deadly claws and massive wings. Its fluffy tail was half the size as well. The strangest detail was that a tiny vial of blue liquid had been hung around its neck with a thick choker._

The feline stared up at Wendy with soft green eyes; that of which reminded the teen of her very own. She could have sworn they were the same that had stalked her from the other side of the ship.

"Hi there!" It cheerfully greeted. "I'm Maya! What's your name?"

Wendy's jaw instantly dropped. "You – You can talk?!"

Maya tilted its head in confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well," Wendy shrugged in embarrassment. "Because you're a cat?"

"What's a cat?"

"You are…I guess?"

"Nu-uh!" Maya shook its head. "I'm a _musk_. A male one, to be specific."

"What's that? Is it like a pet?"

"That depends." Maya hopped on Wendy's lap, making himself at home. "A lot of musks are free-ranged, and then some like me have human companions that help them with day-to-day life, and in return, we use our magic to their benefit."

"Hold up!" Wendy crossed her handcuffed wrists in time-out. "You can use magic? Like spells and junk?"

"Sure! Doesn't everybody?"

"Um...not really?"

"Oh…"

"So," Wendy said. "If you have an owner – "

"Human companion." Maya corrected.

"My bad." Wendy admitted. "If you have a companion, then, how'd you end up in this place?"

Maya broke eye-contact, as a hint of sadness overtook him. "It's… a long story. My friend and I set off on a quest to find a magical item to help us free our town from the evil dictator's grip…"

"That's the same jerk that had me locked up here!"

"Believe me, uh…"

"Sorry. My name is Wendy."

"Right, Wendy. You're not the first he's kidnapped, and you'll probably not be the last. Anyways, we had nearly found the weapon when we were attacked by an evil sorceress, and my friend was turned to stone. I went to find help, when those stupid robot-cops grabbed me. They said they were going to sell me off at market!"

Wendy frowned. "That's super-messed up!"

Maya rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it…"

The clerk began to tell Maya her story. "I'm kinda in the same boat." Wendy sighed, "I lost my little guy, and I bumped into "King Jerkface" while trying to find him." She displayed her manacled hands. "And that's how this happened…"

"Hmm…" Maya hopped off Wendy's leg and began to pace. "I wouldn't be surprised if he captured _your loved one_ , too." She blushed at the overly assertive description. He jolted to a stop. "Say, maybe we can help each other! If you help me bring my companion back to life, I know we can find the answers you're looking for!"

"Sounds great, small fry," Wendy agreed. "But I'm still trapped like this. You didn't happen to see a key around here, did you?"

"Nope!" Maya flashed a wide grin. "But I might have something even better!" He took a few skips back. "Try to stay still, okay?"

"Alright, but how – "

Maya's eyes became a blood red. He chanted in an ancient tongue as his squeaky voice reverberated throughout the room. Unexpectedly, the cuffs on Wendy's wrists grew incredibly hot.

"OW! OW! OW! OW!" Wendy stood up as the restraints melted off her hands. She rapidly blew on her scalded skin in an effort to cool it. It took a second for her to realize what just happened.

"Hey! I'm free!"

Wendy looked down at her feet, seeing a similar puddle of liquid metal beneath them. Her boots now had burnt marks alongside the middle. She took a few steps forward and stretched her stiff muscles.

"Sorry about the heat. Is that better?"

Wendy cracked her hands over her head. "Oh, yeah, buddy. More than you'd ever believe." She dropped to one knee. "So, what's next?"

Maya happily pounced up and rested on Wendy's flannelled shoulder blade. "Head to the cockpit. We have to land this spacecraft."

"Don't tell me." Wendy guessed, walking along to her new destination. "You know how to fly this thing, too?"

"Actually, I do, but I need you to do it for me. After all, I don't have the thumbs to do so…"

* * *

Wendy followed her new friend into the cave's entrance. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Absolutely!" Maya looked back while journeying further into the cavern. "I can still make his scent along this passageway." He slowed down, allowing Wendy to catch up. "I still can't believe we made it here so quickly. You navigated through those woods without encountering a single monster! It's like you're a pro!"

"Ehh…" Wendy waved away the praise while rotating her hatchet in her other hand. "I wouldn't say that, but thanks."

The further Wendy moved into the cave, the less light became available. Its nearly-identical blue tunnels twisted and turned like a lifeless maze. The only remaining source of brightness came from Maya himself.

"Whoa!" The redhead noticed the strange sensation. "You're… _glowing_?"

"What?" The tiny domestic spin around in circles several times, like a dog chasing its tail. Oh, that." He stopped to hold up a front paw. A bracelet was wrapped around it. "This is a _Magic Lamp_. It allows its users to light up even the darkest of places. It's so much better than carrying around a bulky, ol' lantern."

"Are…you even able to do so in the first place?"

"See!" Maya beamed with delight. "That's why I like you, lady. You just catch on like that!"

"Um…thanks?" Wendy followed her new friend closely, trying her best to stay within the given light. As they passed several forks in the road, she could have sworn to make out several unhuman sounds stemming from the walls; deep scratching against the brick, low-key growls, and the clatter of naked bones. The goose flesh was starting to appear again on her pale skin.

"Hey, Maya?" Wendy walked faster to stay in step with the pacing critter. "Is it just me, or are you hearing anything strange coming from the other tunnels?"

"Oh, yeah." He replied, never once shying from his jovial nature. "There are several monsters hiding in wait in the depths of the maze."

"What kind of monsters?" The high-schooler gripped her axe even firmer.

"You know: _crazed bats that give you rabies, living blobs whose acidic touch can melt your flesh. You also have the living dead that'll eat you piece by piece. And don't get me started on the dragons…"_

"Okay! Okay! I get the idea!" Wendy cut off as her nerves got the best of her. She looked at the blade in her arms, wondering if it would be enough if one of these predators would happen to cross her path.

Maya paused, reeling back on his hind legs, before making an amazing jump that went across several floor tiles. Seeing nothing wrong, Wendy continued on behind her guide. The floor beneath her started to give…

"Wendy! Wait!"

Before Wendy could set her other foot down, Maya pounced at her with paws outwards, striking her in the midsection. The attack sent the super-tall girl sprawling backwards.

"Dude!" A confused Wendy threw out her arms. "What's your damage?!"

"My fault! My fault!" Maya leapt from her chest, and carefully approached the next floor tile. He set a paw down, as the flooring collapsed down the middle, leaving behind a pitfall leading to a perpetual blackness.

Wendy knelt and gazed into the abyss. She gulped, knowing that she could have easily plummeted to her doom.

"I might have forgotten to mention something." Maya lowered his head with embarrassment. "I have the ability to sense hidden traps in dungeons."

"So, you could see that trapdoor coming, right?"

"Correct."

Wendy stood back up, and dusted herself off. "Well, no offense, but you think you can say something a bit sooner next time around?"

"Got it, Wendy!" Maya continued on with a bounce in his step. "Besides, we're almost there!"

Wendy hurdled over the hole with a grunt, and watched the excited animal scurry around a corner. _"This is insanity! What kind of game is this?"_ She exhaled, releasing some of her anxiety. _"That's the problem, I guess. I'm not in reality anymore. No matter how much it might bite, I have to play by their rules. It's the only way I'll be able to escape this place. It's the only way I'll be able to get Dipper back…"_

"Here! He's still here!"

Wendy shook her worries away. Instinct made her want to bolt, but she remembered what had just happened. "Is – Is it safe to follow? Are there any more traps?"

"There aren't, I promise! Now, please!"

As asked, Wendy followed suit around the corner. Part of her felt guilty for her slight hesitation; all the small guy wanted was to save his friend from certain doom. Wasn't she trying to do the same thing?

"Oh!" _She was startled by a colossal statue that easily towered over her. It was in the shape of a muscular fighter sporting a military-like buzz cut. A sheet of plate mail stretched across his pecs. Thick gauntlets and arm guards had been set over a thinner body suit. The suit reached down into his tall, pointed boots. Clutching a heavy club, his face had been frozen in a startled reaction; his mouth curved in an "O" shape._

Wendy traveled in a circle about the spellbound warrior, analyzing him from head to toe. "Wow…" she marveled in amazement. She turned back towards Maya. "So, we found 'im. What next?"

Maya hoisted himself upright and lifted his head. "See the vial of _alsulin_ around my neck?"

Wendy took a knee, using a feather's touch on the flask. "This blue stuff?"

He nodded. "That's the only thing in the whole universe that can bring Thor back to life."

"Thor?" Wendy looked over her shoulder at the statue, finding the irony in his set-stupefied face. _"Yeah, seems like a "Thor" to me…"_ Just as she was about to pluck the vial from Maya's collar, Wendy had a thought. "Hold on! You mean to tell me you had the stuff to free this guy all this time? So, why didn't you?"

"I told you," Maya grimaced. "I don't have thumbs! There's no way I can open this thing on my own! That's why I went for help!"

"Oh, sorry…"

*S-S-S-S-S-S-S…*

A new, haunting sound filled the maze. It was a mixture of a snake's hiss and a woman's cruel laughter. It seemed to travel down every corner of the cave. Maya stumbled from Wendy's hand in a panic.

"Oh no!" He cried. "She's back!"

Wendy rose to her feet. "Back? Who's back?"

Maya turned around, searching around for any sight of the threat. "The sorceress that turned Thor to stone in the first place. The wicked, evil _Medusa_!"

"Medusa? You mean like Greek-mythology Medusa? With the scaly body, and snakes for hair?"

She could feel Maya brush against her foot, trying to find safe shelter. "I'm not sure what a "Greek" is, but you got the other stuff down pat."

*S-S-S-S-S-S-S…*

The hissing came closer. Wendy spun around in a circle, taking care not to step on Maya in the progress. Her eyes traced every shadow, watching them race around wildly without any kind of sense to it. The laughter echoed again.

"So…" The lumberjane tried to take control of the situation. "What's the battle plan? How do we beat this thing?"

"I'm…not sure…"

"You're not sure?!" Wendy glanced down.

"All I know is this…" Maya trembled harder against Wendy's ankle. "You can't look her in the eye. Otherwise, you'll be turned to stone, too!"

"Great! Just great – AAH!"

In that slight distraction, something snuck behind Wendy and struck the back of her knees, knocking her off her feet. She landed hard on her back, the hatchet in her hand slid across the corridor.

"WENDY!"

"Agh!" In her daze, the fifteen-year-old could make out a looming black shape hovering over her. It flexed its sharpened claws above her head. A heavy object pinned Wendy's legs down, preventing her from rolling away to safety. She tried to push against it, her hands becoming slimy from its scaly surface.

Wendy remembered Maya's advice and closed her eyes. In the self-imposed darkness, she sensed the monster lowering itself even further. Wendy could feel its hot breath against her pasty face. Mounts of drool splattered into her forehead and hair.

"Oh, yuck…"

Through beaded eyes, Wendy watched as the sorceress lurched upwards, as if to deliver the final blow.

 _"I have to do something…and fast!"_

In the depths of blindness, she reached over her head, hoping that her fingers would find her trusty handheld axe. Instead, they found something new; some type of hardy, smoothed material, firm in structure.

Without thinking, Wendy took hold of the object, and held it over her face, praying that it would serve as a proper defense against the upcoming attack.

 _"I hope this works!"_

Wendy felt the witch pull back off her waist. "WWWWHHHHHAAAATTTTT?! NNNOOOOOOO!"

The room became disturbingly quiet. Seconds passed like hours. The atmosphere no longer felt frigid.

"Wendy, you did it! I can't believe you did it!"

"I…did it?" Wendy opened her eyes and gasped. The snaked-haired Medusa was positioned before her. As was with Thor, her entire body was turned to stone. The beast was forever posed in a flinching pose, with her clawed hands trying to guard her ghastly, disfigured face. Her head, snakes included, was turned away from Wendy, as if she trying to flee from the scene.

"Holy crap!" Wendy didn't understand what just happened. "But, how did…" Her sights traveled to her chest, to the unknown object she had used for protection. It was an elegant curved shield. Its edges were formed by a sturdy white metal. Wendy could see her own image in the center.

 _"It's…a mirror!"_

"Oh, hey!" Maya raced towards her. "You found Thor's Mirror Shield? So that's how you turned Medusa's own spell against her, eh?"

"Wait!" Wendy sat back up. "You knew about this? You said you didn't know how to beat that thing!"

"Kinda." The musk stopped in front of his much-taller companion with a nervous laugh. "I thought Thor had lost it during his fight with her. My mistake…"

"Your…mistake?" Wendy bit down on her lip. As her body trembled with aggravation, she tried her best to remain cool, calm, and collected. Wendy forced a smile as she placed a tender hand behind the Maya's backside.

"Before we take another single step," she said through grit teeth, holding a finger before his face. "I need to know – are there any other surprises that you should tell me about?"

Maya paused for a moment. "Um… Nope!"

"Are you sure? Wanna think about it for a sec? Any other monsters I should keep an eye out for? A particular item we need to move on? Heck, is your buddy there going to wake up and lunge for my throat?"

"No, on all counts…"

Wendy let out a heave. Once again, she took hold of the vial on Maya's necklace, and carefully removed it. Holding it tight in the palm of her hand, Wendy stood up and approached the living statue. She popped the top of the vessel, and reached over its head on her tip-toes. Keeping her wrist stable, Wendy tipped the vial slightly, letting a few drops of solution pour over the sculpture's top.

Suddenly, the effigy started to shine, turning a blinding white. Wendy backed away as the new form started to breathe. She backpedaled, eventually bumping into her axe on the floor. Wendy stomped on the handle, launching the blade into mid-air. She nimbly nabbed it, and held it behind her back, lying in wait for what lied ahead.

Something dawdled forward through the light as it gasped for air. It stopped after a few steps, and keeled over in exhaustion.

"Thor!"

Maya called over and over again as he skipped away his current guardian and scurried up his friend's shoulder. He nudged the man's neck repeatedly until Wendy saw an arm rise through the shadows. It calmly stroked the awaiting animal, making it purr with content. Faint whispers could be heard between the two.

As the light finally passed though, Wendy could finally see the person behind the myth: a hulking brute of a man, with muscles upon muscles with body armor and garments placed between. Yet, she could see more – a soft gentleness was reflected in the man's eyes as he showed silent affection towards his traveling partner.

For some reason, Wendy was reminded of a younger version of her father.

Maya hopped from Thor's shoulder and padded towards Wendy. He grinned up at her with great admiration. "Thor, I want you to meet someone. This is Wendy. She helped me break Medusa's spell on you!"

The combatant made his way towards Wendy. Sensing any risk of danger had passed, she hoisted her axe onto her belt. As Wendy held out an open hand to shake, Thor made a mighty fist. He threw it against his heart, crossing his bicep against his chest. He bowed his head in respect.

"I owe you a great service, young one. If there is something that you require of myself or my Maya, all you need is to say the word…"

"Now, that you mention it," Wendy began to explain. "Maya and I think that that jackass in the gold and black armor – _Lass-something_ – might be holding my buddy prisoner. Would you want to join in with caving his fugly-face in?"

"Ah, so that… _man_ …has caused you great pain as well?"

"Let me put it like this: I can still feel the lightning from his stupid staff in the tips of my toes."

"Then, consider my debt to be fulfilled." He slowly raised his head. "Together, we surely can…" Thor came to a sudden pause as his eyes met Wendy's emerald ones. After a moment of awkwardness, Wendy finally broke the silence.

"Uh, no offense, big fella, but is something the matter? Do I have something stuck in my teeth, or…?"

Thor cleared his thoughts. "My apologies. But at first…you reminded me of someone…"

"O-kay…" Wendy moved on. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing down in this dump in the first place? It must have important for you to risk your necks like this."

"Indeed, it was!" Thor walked away from Wendy and started towards the Medusa statue. "Legend had it that this vile monstrosity possessed a treasure of remarkable power that would surely aid in vanquishing the evil dictator from this plane of existence."

"Sounds like something we definitely need to get our hands on." Wendy crossed her arms. "So, where is this thing? Let me guess: "Snakey" here stashed it someplace deep in this maze, right?"

Thor remained at the bust's side. "It is exactly as I said…" Without warning, he threw an arm back and hurled it through the statue, shattering it into millions of pieces!

"WHOA!" Wendy's eyes grew large. _"He just totaled it like it was paper-machine! Maybe Maya wasn't exaggerating over this guy. Good thing he's on my side, right?"_

After waiting for the dust to clear, Thor reached into the now-hollowed insides of the Medusa statue. He pulled out a small, bronze treasure chest and tossed it carelessly onto the ground.

"Careful!" Maya warned, running over to Thor's other shoulder. "It could be booby-trapped! You don't want that thing to explode, do you?"

"Well," Thor turned away from the chest. "What do you propose?"

"I can try to disarm the trap with a spell…"

"Is that possible?"

"Maybe…or maybe not. Its magical properties…"

"So, you don't know…"

"I didn't say that!"

While the two males argued, Wendy crotched down and examined the new discovery. Taking a hold of her hatchet, she poked at the metal box with the wooden handle, finding it had no effect. Wendy looked behind her back to see that the boys were still disputing their next course of action. Her patience was wearing thin. Dipper couldn't wait for this nonsense!

Flipping her axe, she nudged the treasure box's latch with the sharpened edge. Wendy pulled her head back and away, giving the switch a harder thrust. She heard the top half fall back with a dry creek. A purple light stemmed from the inside of the chest, prompting her to peek inside.

"Ohh…" Wendy rolled up a green-flannelled sleeve and reached into the treasure box. "Yeah, that'll certainly hit the spot."

As Thor and Maya continued to try to form a strategy, they were interrupted by a shout from the other side of the corridor.

"Hey, guys? Don't wanna interrupt your pow-wow, but was this what you were looking for?"

They whirled around to see Wendy holding a magnificent sword in her right hand via a golden-plated handle. She playfully slashed the violet-edged blade through the air, leaving behind colorful streaks with each practice stab.

"Oh, ye gods! _The Laconian Sword!"_

To Wendy's astonishment, Thor instantly fell to one knee and bowed his head in respect. Maya jumped off his acquaintance and romped aside him. "What happened? Are you ill?"

"No! Don't you see?!" The barbarian turned his head. " _She's the one!_ I had a suspicion upon seeing that fire in her green eyes, but I could not be sure. Now, upon seeing this, I am more than certain."

"About what?" Wendy lowered the sword to her side. "And what about my eyes? Is something wrong with them? I'm not following ya."

Thor looked up at her. "Forgive us, mistress. A legend has been passed down for generations among my people. It is said that _when the wave of darkness consumes the galaxy and tyranny threatens its people, a young maiden with an iron will, eyes of emerald fire, and a heart of gold will appear when the universe needs her most…"_

"Uh-huh…" Wendy said. "And you think I'm this person because…"

Thor opened a hand towards their found treasure. "A regular person would not be able to claim the _Laconian Sword_ as their own. Even I was uncertain if the sword would allow me to lay hand on it in the first place!

"Allow…you?" Wendy asked, twisting and turning the rapier over and over again, trying to discover what made it so special.

"Yes. And here you are, able to maneuver it with the greatest of ease. There is no other explanation. You are the one to bring peace to our world and all others!"

Wendy could only sigh at the man's persistence. _"Of course he'd think that. I gotta stand out in this place like a sore thumb. But, it's not like I have a choice. It must be part of whatever game this is."_

"Okay, fine." Wendy mounted the sword on the other side of her belt. "I'll be your _so-called champion_. What do we do next?"

* * *

"The first thing we need to do…" Thor enlightened, holding a gigantic blade of grass back for Wendy and Maya to pass. "…is to earn some _Mesetas_ to purchase better equipment. Your Laconian Sword is a fine offensive tool, but is will not be enough to counter the defenses of the dictator or his forces."

"Mesetas?" Wendy held on to Maya on her shoulder as she tried not to stumble over the last of the surrounding greenery. "Is that like money?"

"What is money?"

"Well, money is what I use to buy food and clothes and junk back home."

"Hmm. I…believe so, then."

As Wendy stepped forward, she felt her feet slightly sink into the soft ground. She had been led back across the forest to a beachfront. Crystal-clear waters spanned as far as the eye could see. Calm, gentle waves splashed back onto the sands, wiping away some of the dirt and mud from Wendy's boots.

"This is… _beautiful_." Wendy couldn't help but be captivated by the peaceful getaway. Her nerves seemed to settle as the serenity reminded the homesick clerk of home. "But why are we here? How will this help us?"

A sly smile crept across Thor's face. "Oh, you'll see. It'll take an instant for them to catch our scent."

"Them?"

Abruptly, a circle of steaming bubbles appeared in the center of the ocean. And then another. The bubbles grew faster and bigger. Set back on full alert, Wendy unsheathed her lavender foil and held it in both hands. _"I should have known. Like I'd get a moment's peace anywhere in this crazy world!"_

 _Two pairs of bluish-purple rounded eyes appeared in the waters. With their prey spotted, a small gathering of olive-colored monsters rose up from the brink and roared. Their bodies were covered in thickened scales that reminded Wendy of a football player's shoulder pads. Jagged neon fins covered the back of their heads, arms, and wrists. Mashing mandibles filled with piercing teeth chomped at their extra-tall quarry. Luminous finger-like claws wiggled endlessly, as if to beckon her to come ever closer._

 _"Well,"_ Wendy dug her toes into the sand, reading her stance for battle. _"Might as well get this over with and – huh?"_

Thor and Maya dashed past her and formed a line between Wendy and the upcoming monsters.

"At last!" The warrior happily flexed his muscles before readying his club. "I have been aching for some action!"

"Don't forget about me!" Maya pushed his tail back, standing firmly on all fours. "Save a _fishman_ for me!"

Wendy watched as the ghastly mermen made their way into land. Before they could strike, Thor lounged forward and slammed his club over the head of the nearest fishman. As the monster stumbled back, he hopped to safety, as Maya pounced into the shoreline.

"My turn!" As in the spaceship, he lowered his head and began to chant in an unknown language. A ball of literal fire appeared above Maya and rocketed into the other atrocity's chest, making it scream in anguish.

"Yeah, guys!" Wendy threw a fist into the air. "Way to go! Kick their sorry butts!"

Her cheers turned to shock as her allies ceased their attack. The recovered fiends staggered forward, now only inches away with their talons drawn back.

"What are you two doing?! Fight back before those things get you!"

The left fishman scraped its claws against Thor's shoulder, making his clutch his wound in pain. The other sea creature attacked Maya by shooting its spiked, toad-like tongue outwards. It missed his mark as the musk flipped into the air to dodge. "Nyah-nyah! You missed me!"

And as with her cohorts, with their individual bouts finished, the fishmen limped backwards to their starting positions.

Wendy itched her head. _"What in the – it's like these guys are taking turns or something…"_

Maya and Thor turned towards one another and nodded. "It's our turn now!"

The distraught redhead slapped her forehead in disappointment. _"Oh, dear heaven! They are taking turns!"_

Thor jabbed the handle of his bludgeon deep into the left merman's ribs. It groaned before dissipating into a pile of pixels. Maya darted up the remaining being's side and delivered a deep bite into its neck. He flew from the fishman as it melted away into the ether.

"Yay! We won!"

Maya hopped into Thor's held-out opened palm in celebration of their victory. A small treasure chest appeared where the demons stood previously. As the duo went to open their spoils, an outraged Wendy stormed into the scene with her arms thrown out.

"What the living heck was that?"

"What was what?" Maya asked innocently. "We fought and defeated the evil monsters!"

"Yeah, but why did you wait so long after your first attack? You guys gave those freaks a chance to strike back before hitting them again?!"

They looked at each other like the concept has been foreign to them.

"But," Thor struggled to find the right words. "That's the way everyone battles here. We go first and they have the chance to defend themselves…"

"…and then, they go ahead and we have to do our best to protect ourselves from their attacks. It goes back and forth until one side falls!" Maya added.

"But that's so… _stupid_!" Wendy pulled at her hair with complete frustration. "Why even give the bad guys a chance to hurt you? That's just crazy!"

Maya rubbed against Wendy's leg in an effort to calm her. "Cheer up, Wendy. We got a treasure out of it, so it wasn't so bad…"

"Maybe…" She walked up to Thor, who was busy going through the chest's contents. "What did you find?"

"Let's see…50 Mesetas.

Wendy bent down, placing her hands on her knees for a better view. "Well, that's good, right?"

Thor stood up. "A good start, perhaps. After a few hours of hunting, we're bound to have enough to buy decent supplies."

"A…few…hours…?" Wendy's temple twitched as she imagined having to replay the same scenario over and over again at such a slow pace. It made her think of that tabletop game Dipper and Ford liked to play in the parlor of the Mystery Shack – decent enough in small doses, but their days-long campaigns made her want to go batty.

"Tell you what…" She started to back away from the scene, holding her palms outwards. "I'm going to do some exploring on my own. You know, get a lay of the land and so on. " Wendy turned around and went to set off on her own journey. "In the meantime, you guys chill out and make camp. I'll be back in a while…"

"Wait! Wendy!" Maya went to run after her, only to be stopped by Thor.

"Stay here, my furry friend. Trust in the wisdom of the chosen one. She knows what she's doing."

"But what if she gets lost in the wild?"

Wendy's ears perked hearing that last part. She glared over her shoulder and winked at her nervous new buddy. "Believe me, Maya. There's very little in my world, or this one, with the word "wild" that I can't handle. See you in a bit!"

* * *

"I knew we shouldn't have let her go on her own…"

Maya looked up. The sun was setting as dusk whisked across the sky. The stars were starting to shine, adding some much-needed light to the coming murky atmosphere.

"You worry too much…" Thor mused, snuggled beneath a tall, lone tree on a nearby hilltop. "She hasn't been gone that long; only a few hours. Besides, it gives us a chance to catch up on our rest."

"Rest?" The small furball sprinted back to his friend's side. "You were a lifeless statue for days while I was almost sold as a child's plaything! How can you be tired in the slightest?"

Thor smiled. "If you don't trust in the girl's abilities, then at least believe in the sword's. _It chose her, remember?_ The fates have aligned all this for a reason."

"You keep saying that, and – " Maya paused as he could make out a rustling sound on the horizon. He hopped onto Thor's knee to gain a better perspective. "There! She's coming up the knoll now!"

As Maya ran to meet Wendy, Thor sat up from his resting spot. He chuckled under his breath at the speculate making its way back to their party.

Wendy limped up the hill at a steady pace as Maya followed along, simply satisfied that she returned as promised. Her brown cap had been pierced with several tiny, but noticeable holes. Her long, copper hair was mattered and tangled from sweat. Small branches had been caught in the red tresses. A thin layer of dust and dirt covered Wendy's dimpled face. Her usually bright green eyes were now a gloomy, darker shade.

In each hand, Wendy dragged a large burlap sack against the earth, making their own unique tracks behind her. Her shirt and jeans had been torn in numerous spots. The flannelled wrapped wounds on her forearms served as an indication to how such a thing could have occurred.

The lob-sided way she walked came not from injury, but from the fact that Wendy sported only one boot. Her other foot was left bare and caked with bits of mud and terrain – a sign of proof of the great distance she had traveled in a short time.

She stopped in front of Thor and with a great strain, threw the filled bags down at his feet.

"Now…" Wendy stooped over in fatigue. "Is that enough to get whatever we need to get this train moving?"

Thor moved to his knees and began to search the nearest sack. It was filled to the brim with chests, coins, animal furs, and loose weaponry. He raised his sights to meet Wendy, who was still gasping for air.

"Yes." He answered without the slightest hint of praise. "This would be more than enough to meet our needs. You might even make a profit from this as well."

"Good…" Wendy reclaimed a bag and tossed it over her shoulder. "Which way to the nearest town?"

Thor pointed to the northwest.

"Let's get going then…"

Every part of her body ached, but it made no difference to Wendy. With every step, she came closer to seeking vengeance on the man that landed her into this predicament. And from there, she would discover what happened to Dipper. Wendy continued down the other end of the hill as Maya hurried back to her side.

"Can I ask you a silly question?"

He could barely make out a response between raspy breaths. "…shoot…"

"Um, it's really neat you found all this great stuff, but I have to ask: where did you get those huge bags from?"

Wendy stopped for a second, never once taking her eyes off the next destination.

 _"I made them…"_

"Oh! Oh…."

With the inquiry answered, she went on with her expedition, leaving a flabbergasted Maya on the edge of the hill. Thor followed along, carrying the other bag over his back. He let out a hearty laugh as he slapped the unnerved animal on the back.

"HAHA! And you were worried…"

* * *

Thor leaned against the outside of the shop with his arms folded as Maya paced back and forth in a straight line. Luckily, nighttime had fallen on the small villa. Most of the villagers had retired within their round-roofed huts for the evening. The warrior looked up to the now-full moon to tell how much time had passed.

"How much longer is she going to be?"

Maya stopped, "You've never went shopping with a young lady before, have you?"

"What sort of nonsense is that? You act like as if she is dawdling, annoying sorting through every single item that the shop keep has to offer."

"I'm not saying that!" Maya kept an open ear towards the shop's entrance. "If anything, Wendy's on the other end of the spectrum. She's been arguing with the seller about getting a sort of bulk discount."

"And – "

"And how his trade in values _suck_ …whatever that means…"

Thor snickered. "It sounds like our young friend is a terror to be had, on and off the battlefield. May the heavens take pity on anyone that would dare cross her."

"She did say something about not being able to find someone close to her. Maybe that's -"

Maya stopped in mid-sentence as he heard footsteps incoming. He looked upwards and his ears shyly drooped at the sight before him. Even Thor took notice, returning to an up straight standing position.

"I look stupid, don't I?

Wendy walked up with her arms outwards; the Laconian Sword in her right hand and the Mirror Shield in her left. Her hair had been cleaned and straightened. _A pink headband kept her bangs out of her eyes. Wendy's torn lumberjack shirt was replaced with a figure-hugging purple armor plate. An emblem to that of a golden sword ran down her chest. Pink sleeves poked through heavy shoulder pads with embellished detailing. The same markings could be found on a matching pair of gauntlets on her wrists. A long pink skirt traveled from under the armor past Wendy's thighs. Her yellow-nyloned legs were tucked into lengthy white knee-boots._

"It's the skirt, right?" Wendy picked at the end of the cloth with loose fingers of her left hand. "It's too girly, isn't it? The jerk inside said that it's the best armor he has that'll fit me. Everything else was way too big…"

Her fellow travelers simply stared in awe of the babbling, self-conscious teenager.

"Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

Maya advanced first, never once taking his sights off her. "Wow, I mean. To be honest, Wendy, you look… _amazing_! Almost like you're a totally different person!"

"R-Really?" The embarrassment was starting to fade slightly. Wendy gazed past him to Thor. "And what says you, big guy? What does this look like to you?"

Thor's usually stern expression became a thinning smile. " _Like something legends are made of…_ "

As Wendy's cheeks became flushed, the warrior quickly changed the subject. "But if we're done playing "dress-up," we have another problem to take care of."

"And what is?"

Thor held an index finger towards the heavens. "How are we going to get up there?"

Wendy followed along, her eyes adjusting for the darkness. She raised an eyebrow to the strange sight hundreds of feet in the air. "What in the – "

 _A titanic, bronzed castle, made up of numerous towers, rested on top of countless layers of rocky earth. It floated among the heavens without any sense of rhyme or reason. Strangely enough, not a single source of life, rather it be birds or plant, could be found on the unusually mass. The only thing had come remarkably close was the trail of dead roots and decaying trees caught up along the sides._

"That is the evil one's castle." Thor narrated as Wendy studied her new objective. "It is heavily-guarded, and truly unreachable to those without the ability of flight."

"Well, that's just grand!" Wendy remarked. "Anyone has any ideas on how the heck we're going to get all the way up there?"

 _"I have a suggestion…"_

At the sound of a new voice, Wendy spun around with sword drawn. She found herself aiming at a beggar that had taken refugee against the side of the shop's wall. _The mysterious stranger sat on the ground, as a white hood covered his face. Sandaled feet stuck out of a lengthy azure robe. His right hand held a simple, hand-crafted wooden staff that rested against the paved ground._

"Yeah?" Wendy held her stance, ready for any surprises. "And what's your story?"

 _The beggar looked up, revealing himself to be a blue-haired young man. A jeweled band was draped across his forehead. There was a natural calm found in his ice-colored eyes. He offered no reaction to the blade in his vicinity, save for a warm beam._

"My story is simple enough." He recounted. "I am Lulz – "

Wendy _inadvertently snorted in amusement. All three pairs of eyes gawked at her with uncomfortable confusion. She sheepish shrugged. "Sorry, I – er – thought of something funny. Please continue."_

"As I was saying, I am from a lineage of _Espers_ , or what you would call, a wizard. My people have been charged throughout the generations with protecting this _Algo Star System_ from the forces of darkness."

"I hate to break it to you, chief." Wendy used her sword to highlight the palace hovering thousands of feet in the sky. "But it looks like you guys have been sleeping on the job!"

"It does appear that way, doesn't it?" Lulz nodded. "I was forbidden from participating in any attempt against the sovereign until I had completed my training. Once I had my master's blessing, I was ordered to stay stationed in this small villa until I would meet the one to lead the battle – a young woman with a will of iron and quick of wit, but with the tenderest of hearts…"

"Yeah, yeah." Wendy threw a thumb over her shoulder towards Maya and Thor. "I heard the story. "Girl of Prophecy", at your service. And the more, the merrier, I say. But now that we're all friends, what's your idea about reaching that castle?"

The magician used his walking staff to point at a sack resting at Wendy's feet. "I believe the answer lies within the rest of your acquired inventory."

"Oh, jeez! I almost forgot!" Wendy snatched the bag up and sorted through its contents. "I bought a ton of other stuff at that shop. Even a few things for you two…"

"You did?!" Maya happily spun around in a circle. "Lemme see! Lemme see!"

Thor derided under his breath, "And to think you wasted all your Mesetas on that outfit…"

"I heard that!" Wendy shifted her head to flash a grin. "But for the beefcake that has everything…" She handed Thor an orange-tinted pistol with green gauges along the sides.

He examined the new weapon from every possible angle, including down the sights of the barrel. "What is it?"

"Careful!" Wendy pulled it back to stop an accident from happening. "It's a laser gun. You can hit several targets and turn them to ash with one press of that trigger. And best of all, you'll be able to do so at a safe distance. No more trading blows with bad guys!"

"But…" Thor gave a disappointed look. "Where's the fun in that?"

"You'll be alive; trust me on this, all right?"

"Me, next! Me, next!" Maya anxiously hopped up on hind legs towards Wendy's mid-section.

"Let's see…" Wendy revealed a silver-crafted pair of fake fangs, similar to what her friends would wear during Summerween. "Besides my skirt, this was the smallest piece of equipment that the shop had. The clerk called it a _"Silver Fang."_ I guess you wear it like braces or something like that."

"Awesome!" Before she could move, Maya leapt up and bit into the mouthpiece. He happily strutted about, flashing his new grey-tipped leer.

"Now that we're done with "gift-time," Lulz nudged with his stick. "I'd keep searching for your key to the skies."

"I'm going, I'm going…" With a bit of struggle, Wendy exposed a small bushy plant. It was set inside of a sealed pot to prevent the soil from pouring out during travel. A well-sized bronze nut dangled from the base of its largest branch.

"Cute, but why'd I buy this? Money must have burning a hole in my pocket…"

"Oh, boy!" Maya's eyes became starry at the sight of the delicious nut. He hurled over Wendy's leg and yanked the kernel off the branch before she could react. As he landed, Maya licked his lips and swallowed the last morsel.

"Yummy!"

Wendy closed the bag and stood back up. "Hey! Rude!"

Maya's tail waggled between his legs with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Wendy, but I…I couldn't help myself. I saw that delicious nut and I – "

The musk let out a loud belch, followed by a low whimper. "Ooh! I'm not feeling so good. My tummy's bubbling…"

"Well, you see?" Wendy chastised. "You got a stomach-ache for eating like a pig! Now – "

Lulz held his stick across Wendy's chest to serve as a barrier. "It would be wise to take a step back…"

"Ohhhhh!"

As Maya's wailing grew louder, his body became enveloped in a bright light. The cries went deeper in pitch and tone.

"What's…" Wendy looked back at Lulz. "What's happening?!"

The wizard didn't answer. His blue eyes focused on the spectacle occurring before him.

When the light faded, Maya was nowhere to be found. In his stead, a golden-furred, winged animal rose up from the ground; the same one that stalked Wendy when she was held captive on the prison ship.

"The monster! " She shouted in nervous response! "It's back!"

"Monster?" It turned about endlessly, searching for a new foe that didn't exist. "Where? Where is it?"

Wendy easily recognized that brittle voice. "No…way…" Lulz lowered his staff as Wendy cautiously approached the stallion-sized creature. "Maya?"

He proudly showed off the Silver Fangs in his mouth as he grinned. "Wendy? Don't be alarmed, but…I think you might be shrinking!"

She giggled, running her hand through her friend's thick fur. "You might have that backward, buddy."

Lulz joined Wendy at her side. "This temporarily metamorphosis is a natural effect of the _Laerma Nut_. It will give your acquaintance the ability of flight for a limited time."

"They must have given you this back on the prison ship!"

"Now that you mention it," Maya scratched the back of his head with an oversized paw. "That yummy nut did taste like the food those mean robot guards gave me in my cell."

Wendy could only shake her head. "Total science-fiction, man…"

Lulz tapped his staff against Maya's furry back. "We must make haste. Our friend's growth will only last a few minutes."

"Finally!" Thor settled himself behind Maya's neck. "We take the fight to the evil one's doorstep!"

As Wendy nestled behind the warrior, she noticed that Lulz remained on the earth; a remorseful expression spread across his long face.

"What's the deal, man? Hop on!"

"I will follow," he explained. "But before we depart, I must ask for a favor. I am a man of simple means. Currency meets little to my people, as does physical possessions…"

"And…?" Wendy whirled her hand in a circle, trying to hurry him up.

"…and with that said, considering that we are about to face the most powerful entity in existence and everyone else received new equipment…"

"Yes…?"

…might I trouble you for enough Mesetas to purchase a new cloak? And a wand to replace this worn staff, perhaps?"

* * *

*CRASH!*

"What?!" The king stood up from his throne as something of tremendous force pierced the far stone wall across from him. As powdered rock filled the air, the armored guard surrounded their king, their weapons aimed at the four shadows forming in the mist.

 _"Honey, I'm home!"_

*ZAP!* *ZAP!* *ZAP!*

Three laser beams shot out of the darkness, striking six soldiers, and instantly turning them into pixels.

"WIND SPELL!"

A mini-tornado launched from the haze. It traveled across the ground, sending any sentries it encountered flying across the room.

Within seconds, the royal guard had been dismantled. Only the dark dictator remained standing. As the vapor dispersed, Wendy stepped forward, her sword and shield drawn and ready for battle. Maya followed behind on her heels. Thor stood on her left, his Laser Gun set directly at the Monarch. Lulz remained on Wendy's right. His new wand, still brimming with magical essence, was hidden under his thick cloak.

"You?" The king's red eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Impossible! You should be rotting away in a prison cell somewhere!"

"Well," Wendy shifted her shoulders with sarcasm. "Sorry to disappoint you, but what can you say? If it was so important to you, you should have done it yourself. But hey, I met some friends, and we decided to stop on in and say hi."

"So, I see…" The colossal tyrant threw his cape behind his shoulders and leaned on his metal cane for stability. "Quite the motley crew you made for yourself. But ask yourselves this, children: _do you really wish to kill an old man?"_

Wendy and company shared a silent, but determined look amongst themselves. All four travelers answered simultaneously: "YES!"

The king laughed. "What an unfortunate mistake…" His demonic eyes glowed even brighter. The symbol on his staff started to spark once more.

"Watch out!" Wendy instantly recognized. She fell to one knee and held the Mirror Shield upwards. "All of you! Behind me, now!"

A lightning bolt launched from the dictator's staff. It bounced off the shiny surface of Wendy's shield, reflecting back and grazed his shoulder, making the wicked ruler favor his wounded arm.

"NOW!" Wendy held her sword upwards. "Everybody at once! None of that "taking-turns" crap. Fight as one!"

*ZAP!* *ZAP!* *ZAP!*

Thor fired at the king's staff, knocking it away from the villain's grasp. The steel-clad foe felt to his knees without its support.

"You dare – "

"WIND SPELL!"

Another set of whirlwinds gathered from Lulz's wand, roving directly into the king's torso. The supernatural gusts knocked him back into his throne, stunning him further. Wendy dashed forward with the Laconian Sword drawn as Maya jumped onto her shoulder, nearly throwing her off-balance.

"What are you doing?!"

"Keep going, Wendy!" Maya insisted. "I'm lending you my power. It's like how you said about keeping a safe distance. Slash at him from here! Trust me!"

"Alright…"

All of a sudden, Wendy's body grew incredibly hot. Beads of sweat ran down her brow. It was as a great fever gripped her. Crying out, she sliced through the air, releasing a literal wave of flame that soared towards the throne. The blaze crashed against the tyrant's chest plate, knocking him down on his backside. His helmet flew from his head and bounced alongside the nearby steps.

As the king struggled to reach a sitting position, he found a sword's edge set directly against his jugular.

"Let's try this again…" Wendy said, still panting as her body cooled down from the charmed attack. "Like I was saying earlier, before you had your cronies attack me, I'm looking for a boy. Kinda small and somewhat pudgy. Curly, brown hair and sad, dark brown eyes with bags under them. Wears a navy blue vest over an orange shirt. May or may not have a weird smell to him." She poked the blade ever closer as she grinded her teeth _. "Have you seen him?"_

"Please…" The broken man frailly held up his shaking hands for protection. His undernourished face was a ghostly white. His eyes were reddened and glassy as if ill. "I know how things appear to be, and I indeed deserve your wrath, but you must believe me! Things are not what they seem!"

Wendy refused to budge an inch. "What you are babbling about? Don't think for a second you're going to get an ounce of sympathy from me."

"But it wasn't my fault!" The fallen king pleaded. "I was tricked! Those fools – the priests of that ancient religion – they promised that I would gain the power to further help my people, but instead …"

"Oh, give me a break!"

To Wendy's shock, Lulz came closer, hanging on his every word. "Let him speak."

The dictator nodded. "What I found – or should I say, _the thing that found me_ – it will lie to you. Play tricks on your mind. Make you see things that aren't there, or even feel them. You can't trust your senses. _Only your heart._ Your heart will be able to lead your way to victory against… _it_!"

Wendy glanced at Lulz out of the corner of her eye. "What in the living hell is he talking about?"

"It is as I feared. Do you recall how I said I belonged to an order sworn to protect this galaxy?"

"Yeah…"

"Imagine the exact opposite. A sect dedicated to spreading darkness throughout the universe. They strive on the misery and suffering of all living things. And behind it all, is a wicked presence guiding them; a being of unimaginable evil incardinate. The "Yang" to the _Great Light's_ "Yin."

"The Great Light?" Wendy questioned as he felt the dictator place his hand on her sword. He glared at her with a sober expression.

" _Beware of the Profound Darkness…_ " He warned as his voice cracked. " _Beware of the Dark…_ "

The despot's head fell back as his eyes turned dark like charcoal. His mouth opened in an unhuman fashion as a black smoke poured out, filling the air surrounding Wendy. She tried to cover her face as the tone of the king echoed in her ears:

 _"….Fffffffffaaaaaaaaaallllllllllzzzzzzzzz…."_

"Stay close!" Wendy could hear Lulz shouting. "Don't breathe it in!"

"What's going on?" Maya asked with fright.

"I can't see a thing!" Thor complained. "Where are you guys?"

Wendy coughed harder and harder. Why did they sound so far away?

Without warning, the floor gave away beneath Wendy's feet. She let out a shriek as she fell for what seemed like an eternity. She could no longer hear her teammates calling out for her.

"Uh!"

Wendy landed roughly on her knee. She was all alone in a chamber of everlasting darkness. The only source of light came from a strange blue cloud rising up from the floor. Wendy jumped to her feet and held her weaponry close, as she realized _she wasn't alone_. In the distance, the lanky heroine could hear something large taking heavy breaths. Its snarls appeared to come from every possible angle.

It was impossible for her to get a reading on where this thing was. The only visual Wendy could make out was _a blurring blue effect that almost looked like beady eyes_ staring at her in the shadows.

 _"Wendy-girl!"_

"Wha –" Wendy turned around to find herself facing the gargantuan form of her father, "Manly" Dan Corduroy. The giant lumberjack was the same azure shade as the clouds swirling around her ankles.

"Just what do you think you're doing here, young lady?" Manly Dan pointed downwards at his daughter. "You're nearly an adult, and here you are, lollygagging about when there's important work to be done!"

"What do you mean, Dad?" Wendy asked with open arms. "You don't know what I've been – "

As Wendy argued with her parent, the blue streak zoomed past her and struck her body. She cried out in pain and looked down at her mail. There was a series of deep scratches across her chest plate. Thankfully, it took the blunt of the unseen blow.

Wendy held her chest and searched around for her assailant. Once again, she was left alone in the unknown territory.

 _"Your old man's right, kid…"_

On the other side of the area, the image of "Grunkle" Stan Pines appeared from the gloom. He, too, was made of the same cobalt mist. He lowered his head, supporting his frame with his trademark "8-ball" cane.

"You can't keep taking the easy way out." Her employer warned as he raised his head; his brown eyes burned into Wendy's psyche from behind his thick glasses. "I won't be around forever, and the same thing goes for the Mystery Shack. What then? That means you'll actually have to find _a real job doing real work for a living!_ "

"Stan?" Wendy asked, unsure of what she was seeing. "I don't understand. What does this – ?"

Again, the entity plaguing her took advantage of this distraction. It lashed out and attacked her right side before fading away into the darkness. "BAH!" Wendy grabbed her hip, as pain and frustration started to take its toll.

 _"Think, Wendy, think!"_ She shut her eyes, forcing everything out of her subconscious. _"It's like how that old man said – this thing is messing with my head, trying to get me to slip up and then – "_ Wendy took breath after breath in an effort to calm down. _"I have to focus! I can't let it get the best of me!"_

 _"W-Wendy?"_

The familiar stuttering brought Wendy out of her meditation. She knew that voice anywhere. "Oh, man…" With her courage gathered, she turned around to see a small, bluish-tinted Dipper Pines looking up at her with starry eyes.

"Where are you, Wendy? I thought you were going to get me out of here _? Aren't I important to you anymore?"_

Her heart sunk into her stomach. "Oh, you bastard…" Wendy cursed the monster for using such a low-blow. "If you only knew how – "

At that moment, her instincts kicked into high-gear. Every hair on the back of her head stood up in alarm. Wendy twirled around to meet the deceiver head on. _Red, soulless eyes burned into the center of her soul. Its dark-blue, long ridged head cocked back, releasing a crooked jaw filled with sharp, decaying teeth. Mammoth clawed hands were attached to a skinless floating torso. Its muscles spasmed and twitched endlessly in a grotesque fashion, showing that this abomination was indeed, alive._

With legs pumping towards her enemy, Wendy threw her shield down, holding her sword with both hands. As the being loomed towards her with claws extended, she took to the air. Her battle cry boomed across the chamber as the two met in mid-air.

Wendy landed and rolled to a stop. The lobbed-off head of the demon fell to the foggy earth without as much as a whimper. Physically drained, Wendy rested her body against the embedded sword in the ground, and smirked at her fallen adversary. "Gotcha…"

*WHOOSH!*

A pillar of pure energy exploded from the monster's neck, filling the dank room with an untainted light. Before she knew it, Wendy found herself enveloped in the glow expanding with every passing second. Its mere touch removed the heaviness Wendy felt from her worn body, like if her presence was fading away from this world…

* * *

No one knew what happened to the brave heroine that led a small group of adventurers against the might of the wicked tyrant bent on enslaving the galaxy. However, her efforts would be remembered for generations to come.

The people of Thor's town decided to honor her in the best way they knew how. In the center of the village, a lifelike statue was erected of a long-haired maiden in battle armor, standing before all evil threats with sword and shield in hand. A symbol of eternal good triumphing over the armies of darkness; _a shining star forever blazing in the coldness of space._


	3. Chapter 3

_"I still wish you the best of luck, baby.  
And don't go thinking this was a waste of time.  
I couldn't forget you if I tried…"_

"You Be Tails, I'll Be Sonic," by A Day to Remember.

 **Chapter 3 – Monster Mash**

 _Dipper held his knees against his chest as he rubbed his hands up and down his legs. The shivering cold his steel cage produced was relentless. The fact that he had been left in his stocking feet only made the chill bite harder._

 _He crossed his arms against his chest as a warm breath escaped through his chattering teeth. Dipper crunched himself even tighter and shut his eyes, wishing that he was anywhere else but there._

 _"Here…"_

 _The sound of something being dropped into the cage's floor made Dipper look up. His black sneakers had been set into his cell with his Pine Hat cap neatly laid on top. Confused, he stared at the menacing shadow standing at the padlocked door of the cage, which waited with folded arms for his response._

 _"Don't ever say I never gave you anything…"_

 _Dipper raised an eyebrow at the random act of kindness, going as far as to poke the articles of clothing with his index finger to ensure everything was as it appeared to be._

 _"Well, aren't you going to say "Thank you?""_

 _He looked at his captor with sad, defeated eyes before lowering his chin back onto his knees. "Just leave me alone…"_

 _Annoyed, the kidnapper began to walk off into the darkness._

 _"Forget this. I'll check back on you later, if I feel like it. Maybe you'll be in a better mood then…"_

 _As his captor went to leave, Dipper crawled towards the front of the cell and grasped the bars. "Why are you doing this? Why am I here?"_

 _It stopped, turning its head halfway so Dipper could see its smile, "You're a bright kid. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough…"_

 _"You can't keep me here!" Dipper raised his voice._

 _"Sure I can…"_

 _"People will come looking for me!"_

 _"Like who?" The abductor spun around to face him. "Like your doofus twin sister? Or that fat oaf of a handyman?" It paused as it held a finger against its chin. "Oh, I know! You think your wannabe girlfriend followed us through the gateway, don't you?"_

 _Dipper growled as he clutched the bars even tighter._

 _"Dream on, shrimp! Like she cares that much about you to do something as foolish as that! Hell, she's probably taking a nap right now. Or grabbing a bite to eat. Maybe if there's nothing on the idiot box and she grows bored, then she'll actually notice you're gone!"_

 _Dipper moved his face as close to the small space between the bars as possible. "I know Wendy heard me. She will find me. You can count on it…"_

 _The snatcher threw its head back and erupted with contemptuous laughter, "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" It wiped a tear away from its eye, "T-Thanks, short stuff. I really needed a laugh."_

 _"Wendy will come! You'll see!"_

 _"If you say so. But we both know the truth. After all, who else would know better than me?"_

 _With that, his captor walked back into the surrounding blackness. Its mocking tone echoed throughout the chamber, "Wendy'll come for me! And you'll be sorry!"_

 _"You will be!" Dipper shook his cage enough that it started to rock slightly. "She will come! You'll see!"_

 _The teasing faded into an uneasy silence, ensuring Dipper that he was all alone. With his spirits lowered, he sat back and raised his knees upwards, lowering his heavy head against them. As a series of new doubts raced throughout his mind, he uttered one last whisper against the eternal obscurity:_

 _"…you'll see…"_

* * *

Lost again in the everlasting light, Wendy squinted, trying to find her way through. Suddenly, an arm reached out for her.

"What are you waiting for? We have to go now!"

"D-Dipper?" Left without an alternative, Wendy took a hold of the hand and let it pull her into a new reality. As the world began to form around Wendy in a swirl of colors, she could make out a muffled sound coming from her guide.

"Dude, what did you say?"

It tugged her forward. Wendy was now face-to-face with _a teenaged boy with spiked blonde hair. She could see her reflection in the blue and red 3D glasses wrapped around his eyes._ He let go of her hand and gripped Wendy's shoulders.

 _"Babe, what part of "zombies are eating my neighbors" don't you understand?"_

"Babe?!" Wendy swiped her arms up and downwards to break the boy's hold. She stepped forward and stuck a finger in his face, making him recoil. "Who in the hell do you think you're – "

Wendy froze as the ground beneath her feet began to rumble violently. The stranger went to catch her, only to have the offended damsel push him away in total disgust. Upon finding her footing, Wendy looked around to discover that she had landed in the middle of _a lush and green piece of suburbia. Countless houses, separated by neatly-trimmed hedges and steel fences, were lined up in a row down the smoothly paved street. She could see deep, spanning, mowed yarns behind them, some containing in-ground pools with crystal-clear water. Wendy sniffed the air, as the aroma of barbecued meat filled her nostrils._

The lumberjack princess found herself to be a stranger in such an environment. It was a total culture clash from her usually forest-enclosed hometown. For some reason, it made Wendy think of how Dipper and Mabel described their life back in Piedmont.

"Hey, girlie!"

Wendy turned back to the boy that pulled her from the portal. _A black T-shirt with a generic white skull was draped over his skinny body. His skin-tight blue jeans were ripped and torn at the knees. His bright red high-tops were caked with dirt and mud._ He opened an arm towards her. "What's your damage?"

She looked down at the hand before her before raising her sights upwards. Wendy held her fists against her hips. "Let me guess: you don't talk to women much, do you?"

He flashed a cheesy smile. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, your lack of fashion, for one thing."

The pest overlooked her from head to toe, "You're one to talk, chickadee. But then again, if I had gams like yours, I'd probably want to show them off, too."

"Huh?" The girl looked down and gasped as her freckled cheeks grew an embarrassed shade of red. Her armor and weaponry had vanished from her body. Instead, Wendy was left _in her cut-off white T-shirt with a thinning, unzipped purple jacket lapped over. Her lanky legs stuck out of short-cut red shorts that barely went past her thighs. The weighted knee-boots were replaced with a generic pair of white sneakers with rolled-up socks coiled at the ankle. Her long copper-colored hair had been tied into a brushy ponytail and yanked through the back of a red trucker's hat._

"Whoa…" She tugged at the jacket's collar in disgust. "Retro ain't my style!"

Both high-schoolers were jolted as the earth under them trembled again. The dorky boy pointed into the distance. "There! They're coming up now!"

Wendy peered into the yard to see that a grey hand extended from the manicured-grassy ground. It pushed down against the earth as a soil-covered form pulled itself upwards. The figure rose to its feet as clumps of dirt fell off its tattered brown suit. Worms and grubs crawled from the pockets of its blue dress slacks. Eerie, low-key groans traveled on the breezy wind.

 _"Grrr…"_

Wendy switched her sights back and forth between the new arrival and her self-proclaimed rescuer. "Um…is that what I think it is?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded. " _It's your very first zombie!_ "

The monster turned around to the voices behind it. Glowing yellow eyes stuck out of clusters of ivory hair. Gusts of wind blew out of the gaping hole where its nose once resided. A light-pink tongue stuck out of its goofy-looking smile as it reached out with open arms.

 _"Brrraiiinnnnssss…"_

"HA!" Wendy chortled into her hand, much to the dismay of her new companion.

"You're…laughing. You're laughing? Does this look funny to you?!"

She threw a hand outwards, "How can it not? I mean, look at that thing! It's so cartoony! It's even cheesier than anything in my B-Movie collection!"

"B…movie?"

"Ugh…" Wendy held a hand against her cheek. "I keep forgetting," she mumbled under her breath. " _Not a real person_ …HEY!"

The redhead stumbled forward again as the ground quaked for a third time. Wendy's emerald eyes lit up as more hands shot up from the soil. Before she knew it, the two teens were surrounded by more than a dozen zombies. With the tasty morsels in their sights, the monsters picked up the pace, and forced their prey backwards.

"Still think they're harmless, love?"

"It's – " Wendy swallowed hard. "It's no big deal." She reached downwards, "I've got this." After a few seconds of fumbling at her side, a new sense of horror overcame the fifteen-year-old. Her trusty blade, as well as the belt and sheath that usually held it, were nowhere to be found.

"Uh…" Her fingers nervously tapped against her leg. "On second thought, I'm open to ideas if you have any…"

The zombies lurched even faster. Their demonic eyes shined even brighter with each step closer to their meals.

"Oh, for Pete's sake! Here, catch!"

Wendy looked to her left as an object spun at her. A large, blue water pistol fell into her open palms. She glanced back with confusion. "You're joking, right? A squirt gun?"

Surprisingly, he held up an identical red pistol and aimed outwards at the incoming threat. "Believe it, sister. Now, fire!"

Left without any other choice, Wendy took hold of her water gun and lined it up with the nearest zombie mere feet away. She squeezed the trigger, releasing a flow of clear, icy water onto the pursuing beast.

"KA-BOOM!"

The zombie exploded with a flash of fire. When the smoke passed, a dirty animated skull smiled up at Wendy from a pile of dust. A split second later, the mess vanished into a wave of melting pixels.

"Unbelievable…" Wendy turned the water gun in her hands over and over in amazement.

"WOO-HOO-HOO-HOO!"

The other adolescent had jumped ahead to take on the rest of the horde. He disposed of zombie after zombie with a variety of trick shots. He jumped up and squirted two corpses in the face, turning them into powder. With three more undead walkers approaching, the boy turned his back and aimed over his shoulder, striking all of them with a dead-eye aim. He went as far as to bent down and shoot the remaining monsters from between his legs.

Within mere seconds, only molting piles of bones and dirt remained before returning to the earth whence they came.

"Oh, yeah!"

The boy whirled his pistol around on his finger before jamming into the hoister in his belt. "And that's how the pros do it, baby!"

It was then that it really finally hit Wendy; an obnoxious nerd showboating and putting on a spectacle. His overall cockiness and the way he tried too hard to look and act cool. Her immediate dislike of all of the above.

 _"He reminds me of that weird poser-Dipper that Mabel made for herself in that dream world. What was his name? "Freshy-Dip", or something like that?"_

Wendy shook her head clear and confronted the boy. "Who are you? And how do you know about all this stuff?"

He gave her a Cheshire grin, "How very rude of me…" He offered a hand to shake. "The name's "Dee" and welcome to the _Ghoul Patrol!_ "

She slapped his hand away, "The what?!"

"You know," Dee shrugged his shoulders. "World-famous? Fighting the terrifying threats that rise from the macabre that would wish upon the downfall of all mankind?"

"Eh…nah. Doesn't ring a bell." Wendy tapped the handle of her pistol against her leg. "So, how many people make up this wonder team of yours?"

"Um…" He began to count off on his fingers. "Two; counting you and me?"

"You and me?!" Wendy said in outrage. "What's this "we" stuff, buddy? You got a mouse in your pocket or something?"

"Oh, come on…" He playfully punched her shoulder.

"Don't touch me…"

"It's cool…" Dee stepped back with his hands up. "But you have to admit, you and I make a great team. Like when we were fighting off that bunch of zombies, and you were all like, "PEW-PEW!" and I was all "BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! " He circled around, pointing the barrel of his red gun in every possible direction. _"We were making movie magic out there!"_

"Care-ful!" Wendy stressed, holding a hand out to halt him as the sights lined up with her. "Does it look like I want my head blown off?"

"By this?!" Dee aimed straight at Wendy's face and pulled the trigger, making her flinch in reflex. A blast of liquid struck her in the forehead, before traveling down her nose and off of her chin. He grabbed his sides as he nearly fell over in mirth. "Sweetie, there's nothing in this thing but pure H2O."

Wendy's shock turned to pure rage. She balled up her free hand into a fist and delivered a lightning fast blow outwards.

"WHAM!"

"Oww!" Dee was knocked down into the ground on his back end. He rubbed his bruised arm as his tawdry beam finally faded. "That really hurt!"

Wendy's towering figure loomed over the fallen teen. She bent down and met Dee eye to eye.

"Let's get a few things straight, pal. You might think your little shtick is cute and all, but consider this a reality check –women don't like being called chauvinist names like "Baby" or "Honey" or whatever crap you were trying to peddle. In fact…" Wendy held her water gun in his face. "…the only reason I haven't knocked your teeth out is because you gave me this."

"But…" Dee's voice grew softer, and somewhat apologetic, "That's how real men talk – like in the movies and junk?"

"Please!" Wendy remained firm in her tone. _"The kid I'm looking for is half your size, and already is more of a "real man" than you ever dream yourself of being…"_

Dee lowered his head in shame.

"…but with that said." Wendy settled to a calmer state. "He's lost out there; maybe he's even somewhere in this place. And I haven't the foggiest idea of where to go from here. So, why don't we try this one more time…"

She lowered an open hand to Dee. After an uneasy moment of silence, he accepted her offer and placed his hand in hers. With a little strain, Wendy helped Dee back to his feet.

"…what is going on here, and more importantly, how can we stop it?"

Dee nodded and began to explain, "Well, it all started a few years ago, when this weir d guy moved into the neighborhood. He was friendly and kinda kooky at first, but after that first winter – "

"No offense," Wendy rolled her hand in a circle. "But I need the abridged version."

"The local mad scientist is pretty ticked at my neighborhood and brought an army of monsters to life to seek gruesome revenge."

"Now, see." She clicked her tongue and pointed at him. "That makes a ton more sense. So, where is this "Professor Creep" now?"

"It's actually "Doctor," I think." Dee held his pistol out towards the horizon. "He lives there…"

Wendy turned around, and her jaw dropped open at the sight. There was a gigantic medieval-styled castle looming in the distance. It reached up to the heavens, as the rest of the suburbs seemed to circle around it. The moonlight reflecting across the castle provided a gorgeous shine throughout the night.

"Huh…" She itched the side of her head with the tip of her water pistol. "How the heck did I miss that thing?"

"Yeah, I know, right?" Dee stepped alongside her. "After a while, it just blends into the scenery."

"How does something like… _that_ happen?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, when the Doc first came, it started out as one of those "McMansion" things, and as time passed, he kept building on top of it…"

"So, I take it that where we're heading, eh?"

"You betcha, bab – er…now that I think about it, what do I call you?"

"Well, where I'm from, girls usually like to be called by their first name, so why don't' cha give "Wendy" a try?"

"Wendy, huh…" Dee massaged his chin with great interest. "Yeah, I can see it. The name definitely suits you."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Gee, thanks. Really glad you approve…"

"Well, Wendy." Dee went on. "It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders. You have any idea how to get out of this nightmare?"

Wendy opened the cap to her gun, finding that it was still three-fourths of the way fill. She jiggled it several times, listening to the water swishing around inside. "It's like my Dad always told me: the best defense is a good offense. And I'd say a full-frontal assault is the way to go."

"Man, I love a woman of action!" Dee exclaimed. "But there's just one teeny-weeny problem with that plan…" He began to walk into the middle of the finely-paved street.

"And what's that?" Wendy followed behind Dee as he stared down the street. The ends of the streets were cut off with large blue and yellow barricades. She darted down the road and went to hop over the hurdles, only to be forced back by some kind of invisible force.

"Ah!" She sat up and rubbed her swollen backside. "What the hell?" The lumberjane stood back up and approached the hurdle again. Carefully, Wendy placed a hand past the obstacle, into the open air above it. Her palm sunk slowly into a see-through barrier before coming to a complete stop.

 _"Freaky…"_ Wendy strained as she tried to force her way through to no prevail. _"It's like there's an entire world out there, and I can't reach it. Is it some kind of limitation made by the game?"_

"But don't worry!" Dee remained optimistic in spite of the anomaly. "I know a shortcut though town!" He waved to Wendy, "C'mon! It's this way!" He quickly dashed across the street and into the next yard.

Wendy took one last glare at the blocked path before racing after Dee. She wondered if the clueless boy was merely trying his best to be helpful, or if he couldn't see that something was seriously wrong.

 _"After all, he is part of whatever game this is…"_

She sprinted on the balls of her feet and swiftly caught up with Dee. "Hey, what was that thing you said earlier? Something about your neighbors?"

"Yeah," Dee slowed his pace to stay steady with Wendy. "That's the other problem. All these zombies and ghouls and stuff – they really have it out for all the normies."

"Normies?"

"You know? Like regular people?" He pushed the 3D glasses back onto the rim of his nose. "Rumor has it that some of those beasties are folks that the Doc kidnapped and turned into freaks. They attack innocent people on sight out of some sort of insane jealousy towards those still human. And some they say simply kill for the thrill of the hunt…"

"They? Who's "they?""

"More like rumors floating around town?"

"Who would even say something crazy like that?" Wendy stopped for a moment as she thought. "You're making this stuff up as you go along, aren't you…"

Dee didn't respond at first. Instead, he changed his line of sight to straight ahead. "Regardless of where the story came from, the point is that we have to help these people out before the monsters get 'em! _After all, that's what a real hero would do!"_

Wendy could see the glimmer of hope in the boy's eyes, even from behind the red and blue shades. His earnest seemed like a total departure from the annoying pest she had met minutes before.

 _"If anything, it's like a wannabe "cowboy speech." Just like the ones Dip used to give."_

The clerk looked to the right to see that Dee was silently staring at her, as if he was waiting for her response. She smiled and nodded in agreement, much to his relief.

"Alright, kid. Count me in. Maybe my little guy is mixed up somewhere in this mess, too. So, where do we begin?"

"There's a good place to start!"

He sped to a group of zombies shuffling towards _an unsuspecting man in an oversized chef's hat tending to a lit barbeque grill. With an apron tried around his waist, he rocked back and forth and gently hummed to himself, totally unaware that danger was slowly limping its way forward. His long, curly strawberry blonde hair blocked his peripheral vision._

"Got it!" Both teens raised their pistols and soaked the entire lot of undead, instantly reducing them to cinders. They ran through the ashes and to the ignorant man lost in his own world.

Dee gave the cook a quick look-over. "No need to thank us, good sir. It's our duty as members of the Ghoul Patrol to serve and protect fair citizens like yourself from the supernatural menace!" He spotted more monsters coming from behind the nearest house and charged onwards. "To battle!"

"Ah…" An embarrassed Wendy let out a nervous laugh as she walked past the man. "I'm…uh…not really…um…with him." She threw her thumb over her shoulder. "I'm going to go on ahead and…"

Wendy stopped in mid-sentence as she noticed the cook paid her no mind. Baffled, she waved her hand up and down in front of the man's face, seeing that his eyes didn't follow the motion.

"What's your deal, man? You could say "thanks" for saving your hide. Or at least offer me a burger or something? Hey, are you listening?"

Out of annoyance, Wendy went ahead and gave him a rough shove on his shoulder. Unexpectedly, the cook disappeared into a brilliant light. Wendy hopped back in reflex, unsure of what had happened. When the light faded, she found herself by herself in the yard. The man, along with his food and grill, had vanished from the face of the earth.

"O-kay, then…" The redhead kicked the grass where the person once stood. "We'll chalk that up to being "another weird game-thing…""

"WENDY!"

She grumbled, hurrying back towards the voice of her newest companion.

 _"Did the grill really have to go, too? I'd kill for a hot dog 'bout now…"_

Wendy found Dee standing in front of a giant trampoline placed against a chain-linked fence blanketed with layers of ivory. As she advanced, a blue flash bounced down on the pad before launching back into orbit.

"WHEEEE!"

"What the – "

"Yeah," Dee looked down at the ground, and readjusted his glasses. "I'd figured I'd get your take on this one…"

Wendy looked to the sky to see _that a young, pig-tailed tween dressed in a striped shirt and dark blue overalls stretched her arms towards the sky as she fell back to earth. Her sneakers sunk into the stretched mat as she soared back into the atmosphere._

"WHEEEE!"

The heroine scoffed. "This is a big deal to you? That's nothing! I have three brothers at home, and they're _way_ worse! Imagine having to deal with them while handling wild animals around your house to boot!"

"Well," Dee opened his arms to his side and stepped away. "Be my guest…"

The ginger wrapped a hand around one of the trampoline's metal bars. "Hey, sweetie? I know you're having fun, but there's a ton of scary stuff out there, and we need to get you down now, okay?"

The little girl went on with her joyful bouncing without any sense of hesitation.

"WHEEEE!"

"Wow…" Dee commented. "Really learning from "the Master" here…"

"QUIET, YOU!" Wendy returned to the child mindlessly jumping in place. She attempted to a take hold of one of her jeaned legs. "Honey…" Her tenor changed, turning deeper and angrier with every failed swipe. "Please…you need…to listen to me…why aren't you …GET OFF RIGHT NOW!"

"WHEEEE!"

"That tears it!" Wendy climbed up into the trampoline as the momentum launched her into the air. As soon as she was level with the disrespectful charge, Wendy took a hold of her shoulders.

"Now see – huh?!"

As with the chef moments before, the bouncing girl seemed to melt away into a gentle beam of light under Wendy's fingertips. A split second later, she found herself all alone going up and down on the trampoline.

"What?" She looked around for a possible answer. "Why does that keep happening?"

"What keeps happening?!" Dee shouted from the ground, with his hands held around his mouth. "You got the girl to come down. Good job!"

Wendy came to a realization. _"He really doesn't see anything wrong here! "_ Her attention changed suddenly as her new bird's eye view of the neighborhood was put to good use; she spotted _a balding man relaxing in his bathing suit and sunglasses in an oversized, inflatable black tire tube in the center of an in-ground pool just over the fence._

"Hey!" She shouted down to Dee as she continued to rise and fall. "There's somebody there!"

"Where?!"

"In the next yard!" Wendy wheezed as something new appeared on the scene. She could make out something large and shadowy swimming around in the pool besides the unwary man.

"Ah, crap! I think something's in there with 'im!"

Dee waved her down, "Then, let's get going! We'll go around the fence."

"There's no time!" Wendy took a deep breath and bounced even harder on the trampoline. She lined up the angle in her mind, figuring that she could easily make it. Her lanky body flew even higher in the air.

"You – " Dee paused. "You're not thinking of…"

"And if I am?"

"You're nuts!"

Wendy bent her knees harder as her sneakered feet pushed off of the mat. She hurdled over the fence and into the crystal clear waters.

"And you're realizing this now -?!"

*SPLASH!"

The cool waters felt refreshing to Wendy's exhausted and worn body. Thankfully, her new lighter clothing allowed for greater mobility underwater. _"Good thing I don't have my boots on. I'd probably sunk to the bottom like a rock!"_

Her cap helped kept her long, flowing red hair behind her. She turned around to find herself eye-to-eye with a new type of creature. _Its green body was covered in thick scales that almost looked like armor, save for its soft undercarriage. Webbed hands and feet were endowed with razor tips. A snarling face with red eyes and jagged, yellow teeth pushed out of a gilled-shielded held._

The overgrown lizard roared beneath the waters, the vibrations shaking the area around Wendy's body. It reminded her again of the old cheesy B-movies she watched with Dipper, except that this monster was as deadly as it looked, no parts of a costume or zippers to be found. She instantly drew back, with hands padding and feet kicking as the scaly menace dove after her.

Wendy knew that its physical features would easily allow it to outrace her, so she had to come up with a different strategy. She planted herself against the nearest wall and waited. Her held breath was growing stressed as the water beast hurled itself at her with jaws and claws unsheathed.

 _"NOW!"_

At the last possible second, Wendy dove under the creature, as it smacked its face on the hard concrete. With the monster stunned, Wendy's feet pushed off the pool bottom, launching her towards the surface for an intake of much-needed oxygen. Refreshed, the teenager swam over to the man in the inner tube as he remained in his own, little world.

"Hey, blimpo!" Wendy called out as she treaded water. "You gotta book, or else, you'll be fish food!"

As the man quietly hummed to himself, unaware of Wendy's presence, she slapped the side of her head in annoyance. "A-duh! I keep forgetting! They can't hear me!"

She poked him with an index finger, and the man disappeared into a bright light as well. Wendy could see in the now-cleared waters that a series of rapid bubbles were making their way towards her.

"Uh oh!" Wendy used huge swiping butterfly strokes to create some distance from the pool monster. She lounged at the ladder leading back to the surface, pulling herself back into the safety of dry land. Wendy could have sworn to feel the claws of the animal scrape against her tennis shoe as she left the water.

Without resting for a second, Wendy forced herself upwards and away from the edge of the pool, racing to the opened door of a picket fence nearby. Knowing that she was well beyond striking range, the plucky female looked back and taunted her failed foe.

"HAHA!" Wendy stuck out her tongue. "Guess you weren't fast enough, eh, lizard lips? WHOA!"

She cried out as she tripped over something in the next yard. Wendy yelped as she landed roughly on her elbows and chin. She rolled over on her back to see that a monstrous vine, similar to that on the link fences had become entangled around her ankles.

"How in the – " Wendy yanked at the greenery, finding that it refused to budge in the slightest. It was knotted across and between her shins, almost like a half-finished hogtie.

All of a sudden, the veiny rope pulled Wendy's legs out from under her. She was helplessly dragged further into the next yard. She came to a halt, finding herself in a strange patch filled with plants that looked like mutated cabbages. The largest one was in the center of the grouping, mere feet away from Wendy's location. Its slimy, purple body pulsated like a beating heart.

"Eww…"

Awakened by Wendy's response _, the plum-colored cabbage opened its petals, revealing a grotesque pod with several oozing stems that ran over like runny nostrils._ As the plant bulged and swelled, the lumberjane could feel the vines tightened around her feet. Wendy looked down to see that the creepers were now crawling past her knees, locking her thighs together.

"Hey! Don't!" With her lower half mummified, Wendy grabbed her squirt pistol and fired at the alien plant. To her astonishment, it relished in the water given. The oddity bobbled and started to increase in size. The diseased-looking leaves covering it snaked into the soft soil, creating even more small cabbages alongside Wendy.

Her attacks ceased as the vine holding Wendy captive climbed further, pinning her arms against her sides. The water gun slid across the grass soaked in fresh dew, well beyond her reach. Wendy bucked and squirmed, hoping to pop her shoulders out from the constricting coils.

A horrid screech filled the night sky. Wendy turned her head to see that the surrounding pods were opening! Their petals split and gave away, revealing something fleshy and gooey on the inside. The new arrivals took form and stepped forth into the world.

 _"You – You gotta be friggin' kidding me!"_

Numerous copies of Wendy stumbled around like newborn children, testing their fingers and wiggling their feet in delight. Each were dressed in the same clothing and hairstyle as their inspiration, from the auburn ponytail tied behind her baseball cap to the generic white tennis shoes writhing at the bottom of the cocoon for freedom.

 _"Clones…"_ Wendy let her head hit the ground as she remembered all of the misadventures that occurred during summer involving doppelgangers bearing her likeness. _"I really, really hate clones!"_

All of the Wendys stopped in their tracks. They turned back to the entrapped young adult as like they had heard her thoughts somehow.

 _"Uh-oh!"_

In conjunction, the Wendy mass marched towards her step by unified step. Their bare hands balled into tight fists. Their confounded expressions now replaced with ones of utter rage. Their green eyes peered into Wendy's with an intense, yet unknown hatred.

"N-Now, wait a sec…" Wendy tried to sit up, only to slide back down onto her back. "Can't we talk about this?" The clones' shadows blanketed any aspect of light, leaving her in a man-made eclipse. She could hear the master plant continue to squish and bob in delight of her predicament.

"KA-BOOM!"

The closest Wendy clone exploded into a wave of dust and dirt like the group of zombies earlier. The remaining ones immediately looked to their right, just as they were assaulted with a barrage of water blasts.

"KA-BOOM!"

"KA-BOOM!"

"KA-BOOM!"

"Aha!" Dee came charging in with his free arm pumping air repeatedly. "Take that, you fake-prima-donnas!" With the path cleared, he alone stood between the master plant and Wendy.

 _"No…way…"_

The oversized purple pod gurgled and bubbled angrily. Dee chuckled. "Oh, don't feel too bad for your friends, "Little Shop." He pulled out what appeared to be a long, polished weed wacker from nowhere, and held it in front of him. He hastily pulled the cord to start the engine, and seconds later, its sharpened blades turned into a whirling blur. "You'll be joining them soon! As coleslaw!"

Before the plant could fight back, Dee rushed forward and lowered the spinning blades into its mid-section. The pod exploded into a messy purple slime as it was sliced to pieces. A huge splash struck Wendy across the face, making her wince in absolute disgust.

"Oh, yuck! Yuck! Yuck!"

With the battle won, Dee spun around. He set the gardening tool over his shoulder as he posed heroically. "Miss me?"

"A ton…" Wendy sarcastically replied. "Now, could you get me out of this thing?"

"Aw, what's the magic word?"

"NOW!"

"Eh." Dee shifted his shoulders. "Close enough." He walked to where she was still encased in the thick vines. With another yank of the starter cord, the weed wacker was roaring and inches away from Wendy's body.

"Whoa!" Wendy's eyes widened at the sight of the deadly rotary. "I was thinking along the lines of you using your hands…?"

He stopped. "That's not gonna work." He nudged her prison with his foot. "You're in there way too deep. The only way I can get you out is by cutting you out. Now, hold very still…"

"But…"

"Just trust me, okay?"

Wendy sighed. "I really don't have much choice, do I?"

Dee began to lower the power tool. "No, you don't."

Wendy closed her eyes as the blades made contact with the right side of the cocoon. She could feel a massive build-up of heat being generated, and yet, there was no real pain.

"Hmm…" Dee grunted as he moved the blades towards Wendy's hip. "Man, you really got caught up in this good, didn't you?"

"Well…" Wendy felt offended by the comment. "Maybe if you were here, covering my back, this wouldn't have happened in the first place."

"Maybe…"

After a brief tingling in her ankle, Wendy finally felt the relief of cool air against her body. The vines cracked off in half like a broken cast. She opened her eyes to see Dee offering to help her back to her feet. The scrawny boy hoisted his much-taller teenage companion upwards with a slight strain.

"…but then again," he said, with a seriousness not heard in his tone before. "You wouldn't have gotten caught up like that if you waited up for me instead of trying to show off…"

An awkward stillness crept between the two. Wendy broke eye-contact as a mixed sense of regret and irony filled her mind. She dipped her head, her thoughts gathered, and walked to Dee's side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe…but for what it's worth…thanks for the save…"

She walked past the diehard horror fan, left unaware that he was inaudibly squealing in delight of finally being praised. As Wendy was about to peek outside of the yard's confines, Dee called out to her.

"Hey, wait!" He held the week wacker by an open door of a nearby garbage. "Don't you want to check that out before we go?"

"What for?"

"Well," he held the shredder up. "Where do you think I found this baby? It's strange, but a ton of everyday household products have some awesome effects on these monsters!"

"Huh…" Wendy rubbed her chin, glancing down at the now-seemingly meek water gun in her hand. "Good point."

She poked her head into the small garage; her eyes speedily scanned the various tools mounted on the dust-covered wall. Nothing seemed to stand out a deterrent against the creepy crawlies stalking the streets. A long, workman's table next to her had several markings and chips in its wooden structure, leaving only outlines of where items once lied.

"Bah! It's already been picked clean!"

Wendy went to shut the door behind her as the tip of her shoe with something hard and round. She looked down to see a silver fire extinguisher hidden away besides the back legs of the work table. Wendy smiled as she thought of all of the pranks she had done in her life using such an instrument of chaos.

"Well, hello there…" She happily plucked the familiar tool from the floor. "I think you'll be coming along with me." As Wendy lifted the extinguisher from the ground, a dark, yet sad pair of brown eyes stared at her from the shadow under the table. She gasped and skipped back in surprise, accidentally dropping the heavy cylinder down on her sneaker.

"OW!" Wendy hopped and down on one foot, while holding her injured one. "OW-OW-DAMMIT!" Ordinarily, her lumberjack boots would provide greater protection to such blows. As she recovered from the sudden sting, _an adorable chocolate-brown labrador wadded out from the darkness. Its grin grew upon seeing the lanky liberator, revealing a wet, red tongue that panted a mile a second. It rested on its hind legs and gently whined, wagging its long, furry tail behind it._

"Oh, hey, buddy…" Wendy held a hand against her beating heart. "You…You totally scared the living crap outta me." She went to pet the dog awaiting any sort of human contact –

"Wendy! There's another horde coming! We have to go!"

She mumbled under her breath. Wendy picked up the canister and went to bid the fuzzy pet. "Now, stay here, boy. You don't want to get mixed up with those things out there." She felt bad as the canine gave her another heartbroken look as she closed the garage door behind her.

Wendy gazed ahead to see Dee firing back at the upcoming zombie pack with his soaker pistol. The weed wacker was strapped to his back. He turned his sights towards her for a split second before returning to the action.

"Nice of you to stop by…"

"Well," Wendy fired into the undead crowd with her free hand. "I had enough time to grab this thing…"

"Does it work?"

"I think so. If not, I can whack someone over the head with it."

Despite their efforts, Wendy and Dee shortly found themselves outnumbered by the living dead. They retreated from the yard, going as far as to shut the heavy wooden gate behind them, effectively sealing the flock in. They threw their weight against the throbbing door until the relentless pounding from the other side finally subsided.

"Phew!" They collapsed against the wooden barrier.

"AAAHHH!"

Both youths rose to their feet in search for the sound. Dee looked to the heavens, as his face turned a ghastly white. "Oh, no! No! No!"

"What's the matter?!"

He held her shoulder and threw a finger into the sky. "Look!"

Wendy had to squirt, but she could make out a faint bluish-white image floating away into the moonlight.

"This may sound funny, like it kinda looks like an angel to me. Y'know, with the wings and halo and everything…"

Dee turned to Wendy. "But, I thought we got to everybody! You didn't see anyone else around before we left, did you?"

"No, I – "She stopped as a brief shred of doubt entered the back of her mind. "I mean, I don't think – "

"You don't think?! Did you see someone or not?!"

"Not a someone." Wendy winced. "There…was a dog back in that garage…"

"WHAT?! You left a "puppers" behind?! What kind of person leaves a poor, defenseless puppers all alone by himself?"

"I didn't – " Wendy pinched her nose. "I thought I was keeping it safe by not bringing it with us! Besides, you said to keep an eye for your neighbors _. Actual people!_ "

Dee wagged a finger in Wendy's face. "Puppers are people!"

"Don't you dare – WHOA!"

Wendy stopped in mid-step as she spotted something strange. There was a red X marking on the back of her right hand. She rubbed and scratched at it, finding it wouldn't fade from her freckled flesh. She licked her other palm, and used it to coat the symbol. The wetness didn't help at all.

Dee raised his brow, "What…are you doing?"

Wendy groaned in frustration as she displayed her hand. "It's – It's this weird mark on my hand. I can't get it off me!"

He took a closer look, going as far as to lift his glasses up. "I don't see anything there."

"Huh?!" She pulled back and flipped her wrist back and forth. "What are you talking about?! It's a reddish X! Just below my knuckle?"

Dee repeated himself, "I'm serious. I'm can't see whatever it is you're screaming about."

Wendy reflected on his words. _"What if the game doesn't want him to?"_ She examined the stain one last time, wondering what it could possibly mean.

Dee was the first to move. "I don't mean to interrupt this super-weird moment, but we have to get going. Luckily, this little devour has led us to a nifty, little shortcut through the park."

"Really?" Wendy hurried back to Dee and walked side-by-side as they jogged down the street and around the corner. Past the park's entryway, they found themselves in front of a massive, green hedge maze that seemed to stretch out for miles.

"Shortcut, huh?" The exasperated cashier gave Dee a bitter glare.

"Don't let looks fool you, lady," He pledged. "If we go through here, we'll be at the center of town in no time…"

"But…?" Wendy guessed.

"Not so much as a "but" as an "if…" Dee admitted. ""If" we don't end up getting lost in there…"

Wendy inspected the towering hedges from top to bottom. "It isn't like we have another way through, right?"

"Nope…"

* * *

The decision was made, and the pair dove into the spiraling maze head-on. The twisting corridors made of lush, thick greens looked nearly identical from one another. After a few moments, Wendy couldn't tell if she had made any progress in the labyrinth, or if she had running around in circles.

"Are we…*HUFF* …are we almost there?"

Dee skid to a stop. "Wait. You're following me?! I thought you were leading the way?!"

"ARRRGHH!" Wendy yanked at the loose strands of copper hair stemming from her cap in frustration. "I knew it! We _are_ going around in circles!" Taking a second to calm her nerves, she took off her hat and adjusted it and her matted locks. "Let's just go back to the start…"

"Okay. But which way is that?"

Wendy circled around on the balls of her feet. Dee was right; there wasn't any to tell beginning from middle to end in the maze.

"Well, that's just swell! And I – "

*BUUUZZZ…*

She stopped in mid-sentence as a buzzing sound entered her ear. It was a familiar tone; one that she had heard thousands of times back home. It was also a dangerous one – something that had no place in suburbia during the middle of the night.

*BUUUZZZ…*

It was getting closer!

Wendy stood up straight, with legs firmly planted as she tried to locate where the noise was coming from.

"What?!" Dee stepped towards her. "What's going on?"

She let out a quick grunt and held up a hand. Her ears perked up higher as the buzzing grew louder. It was coming from the next hedge row over!

Wendy held her water pistol close to her chest. "Get ready. Something's coming…"

Dee met her back-to-back. Wendy could feel his body trembling against hers.

"What's coming?"

"I'm…not sure. I just hope it's not – "

*BUUUZZZ…*

A flash of roaring silver shot out from a hedge a few yards away. It burned and across the through the solid shrubbery like melted better. The wall tipped over as _a large hulking man appeared from the opening. The hairless being, dressed in a simple black t-shirt, blue jeans, and brown work boots held a spinning chainsaw in his muscular arms. He raised his shiny, balding head, revealing that his face was covered by a hockey mask. The red eyes peering out from the mask's slits locked directly on Wendy._

Without saying a word, the chainsaw-welding maniac held his weapon over his head as he charged at Wendy and Dee.

"Hey!" Dee pointed at the rampaging fiend. "He looks like – "

"Just shut up and shoot the damn thing!"

The threatening juggernaut fought against the outpour of water blasts. Little by little, they slowed his mad dash until the giant fell over onto his back. His jeaned legs flailed in the air, like a tipped-over turtle.

With their enemy downed, Wendy released a relieved sigh. Dee, leaning over from the safety of her shoulder, innocently asked, "Is it over?"

Wendy didn't dare to take her eyes off the scene. "I…hope."

*BUUUZZZ…*

Dee and Wendy shrieked and jumped in shock as another chainsaw blade popped out of the hedge wall behind them. Another near-identical chainsaw maniac walked through the freshly-made hole.

"Uh, Wendy?"

Wendy turned back around to see that the first predator had made it back to his feet. Both maniacs with thrashing chainsaws raised, pinned the teenagers together in the center of the row.

"So…" A nervous Wendy asked her cohort. "Any other tricks up your sleeve that might come in handy right now?"

To her bewilderment, Dee already was fumbling with a small red box in his hands. He took hold of a thin cord attached to its side and pulled it out. He flipped the cube out of his palm and onto the ground alongside the nearest hedge wall.

Something round and colorful began to inflate from the box's innards. Plastic red hair rose out from the top. A round, bulbous nose came next, waggling gently on the night breeze. From white flesh came an innocent, yet somewhat sinister smile that sent chills down Wendy's spine. Its red outfit was dotted with fluffy yellow buttons. White gloved hands and oversized curved feet bobbed up and down to gravity's whelm. Once its true form was reached, a sound-box echoed an obnoxious laugh that travelled across the hedge maze:

"HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH!"

"That's…That's your secret weapon?"

"It's an inflatable clown. What did you expect it to do?"

"But – "

They fell silent as the chainsaw duelers hurried pass them to the clown-themed punching bag. The brutes stabbed and prodded the toy with their blades, only to make it laugh even harder at their efforts.

"HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HEH!"

With the men distracted, Dee snatched Wendy's wrist and led her around the next corner. They ran down the next path into another fork in the road. Making sure they were reasonably safe from the maniacs, the duo rested against the closest green wall.

"That was nuts!" Wendy wheezed, bending over and holding her knees. After a moment of rest, she straightened her body and slapped the water gun in her hand. "And this hunk o' junk didn't work!"

Dee double-checked his gun for any problems. "Maybe those creeps are just way too strong…"

"Then, what can – "

*BUUUZZZ…*

Wendy saw the events play out in slow motion. The shining metal blade, rotating without beginning or end, launched from the vine-wrapped wall, nearly missing Dee's elbow. Relying on pure instinct, Wendy pulled him away from the danger by the front of his shirt. With a firm thrust, she threw the smaller boy backwards to the left-most path on the fork.

"Wendy – " Dee stumbled about, trying to regain his footing as two more crazies entered the maze. "What are – "

"Just go!" She demanded, turning tail and hurrying down the opposite path. "NOW!"

Wendy didn't even have time to make sure Dee followed her instructions. The dual buzzing ringing in her eardrums confirmed her bet. The masked attackers were on her heels and catching up!

 _"Why did I do that?"_ She wondered, rounding the next turn. _"If anything, that kid has a better shot of escaping these guys than I do. So, why was my first instinct to make sure he was okay?"_ Her grumbles could barely be heard over the pursuing chainsaws. _"Maybe he reminds me of Dipper a bit too much – the good parts, at least. Maybe he's someone's Dipper…OOF!"_

Lost in her thoughts, Wendy had accidentally walked into a solid wall made of ivory. She spit out a loose leaf caught in her mouth, and looked for a detour.

"It's…a dead end! There's no way out!"

Wendy twirled around, finding that her exit was blocked by the two disguised assailants. She toppled back into the green, as a round and curved object jabbed her square in the back.

"AH! Wait! The fire extinguisher!"

Wendy had almost forgotten about her makeshift weapon. She reached behind and hoisted the nozzle under her left armpit and held it steady with her right hand.

"Freeze, jerkfaces!"

*WOOSH!*

A barrage of grayish-white foam exploded into the air, totally blanketing the villains from head to toe. The residue excreted into a thick mist, blinding Wendy from any sight of danger.

 _"Did it work? I wonder if I can use the cover to sneak by these guys…"_

Before Wendy could react, she could spot one of the hockey-masked heads sticking out from the mist. Its skin had turned an ice-blue. The glowing eyes behind the mask had become somewhat calm.

 _"Huh? What gives?"_

The smoke thinned, prompting Wendy to wave away the remnants to clear the air. She stared in disbelief as the two thugs were frozen solid in mid-step. Even their individual chainsaws, held high over their heads, had come to a complete stop.

"Neat…" Wendy looked down at the hose in her palm. "I know I said "freeze," but I didn't think…" She tip-toed through the ice-covered obstacles. "Excuse me. Just passing through…"

As soon as the clerk passed around the edge, she wiped the sweat away from her brow. "Finally! Now, to blow this pop-stand!"

*BUUUZZZ…*

"And how!"

Wendy galloped through the green corridor in search of her fellow monster hunter. Had he already found an exit out of the maze and left her behind?

*BUUUZZZ…*

A new maniac tore through the bushy wall, catching Wendy off-guard. He growled and swiped at her with his chainsaw, missing her cheek by inches. A thin strand of red hair floated through the air and onto the ground.

"Why you – " In response, Wendy held the extinguisher's spigot in his face. "Take that!"

*CLICK-CLICK*

"Oh!" Wendy closed an eye and looked down the nozzle, finding it completely empty. "Out of gas…"

The fanatic's body came further through the ivy. Left with no other choice, Wendy popped the extinguisher off her back and heaved it over her head with both hands. "Ah, the hell with it!"

She slammed the cylinder down on the maniac's head, forcing him to the ground with a sickening thud. With the monster out cold, Wendy tossed the now-dented canister down and ran down the open path. The continuing arrivals of new buzzes served as a constant reminder that there were more bad guys on the way.

*BUUUZZZ…*

*BUUUZZZ…*

*BUUUZZZ…*

The bottoms of Wendy's feet were starting to throb. She couldn't remember how long she had been running for. There wasn't a clue to where things began or ended.

 _"When is this gonna end?"_

"Attention, soldier! You are to halt any or all violent activity and return to your homes or places of business! Post haste!"

 _"Hold on?! Another person?!"_ Wendy followed the shouts around a series of turns and bends, arriving at another blind grassy alley a few moments later. At the dead end, _there_ _stood a middle-aged military commander donning a trademark camouflaged uniform with heavy boots. His buzz cut-head was protected by a hard-shelled brown helmet. A long, sharpened bayonet was strapped to his backside._

"Boy, am I glad to see you!" Wendy excitedly rushed to the soldier. "You wouldn't happen to know the way out of here, do ya?"

The man seemingly looked pass the unnerved girl. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a handheld walkie-talkie. "Copy! Copy! Do you read me? I need recon and rescue, stat!"

A disappointed Wendy slumped over and narrowed her eyes. "Of course, you don't. You're part of this stupid game. You can't help at all…" Despite this frustration, she patted the soldier on the back, transforming him into a pillar of light, and rescuing him from the perilous scene. Wendy's hopes quickly returned as she noticed a new object resting at the end of the hedge.

With a laugh of glee, Wendy took ahold of the item and rested it against her shoulder. "Oh, baby! Where have you been all of my life? Who'da thunk that this _bazooka_ was hidden away behind that old geezer?"

*BUUUZZZ…*

*BUUUZZZ…*

*BUUUZZZ…*

A crowd of masked chainsaw madmen came around the curve, blocking any chance of escape. As they cornered Wendy, standing united row by row, the clerk gave off a mischievous smile.

"You boys wanna play games, huh? Alright, then." Wendy tightened her grip on the weapon, centered her aim, and carefully cocked the trigger back. "Say hello to my – WHOA!"

*KA-BOOM!*

The force of the bazooka sent Wendy flying back into the hedge. She smacked the spongey wall with an "Uhh!" before sliding down to the ground. She raised her head to see the path of destruction that the single mortar created. All of the chainsaw maniacs had been vaporized from the face of the earth. The leaf-filled sides of the corridor were burnt and charred by the blast.

 _"Cool…"_

Best of all, a gaping hole had been blown through a thin layer at the end of the path, leaving back to the outside world.

"There you are! Oh, wow! Did – Did you do all of this?"

Wendy could see a patch of blonde hair popping in from the new exit. She felt a huge weight being lifted from her mind. "Yep. You know me, Dee. Always making my mark on the world…"

"So, I see…" He went back into the maze. "I actually found my way out, and was about to go back for you – "

"I'm sure you were…" Wendy replied with full sarcasm.

"I really was! But then, I heard all of the noise and shouting and explosions, and figured you'd be there somewhere…"

"Mmm…got me there."

Wendy disposed of the empty bazooka and followed Dee to the maze's exit. They found themselves facing yet another forked path. A large, abandoned mall was set to their left. On the right was a beautiful, lush community park, filled a number of children's recreational equipment like seesaws, jungle gyms, and sandboxes. The serene, peaceful area was a breath of fresh air from the madness hiding under the guise of an usual neighborhood.

As her sneaker was about to land on the soil, Dee grabbed Wendy's arm and pulled her back into the cement. "Hang a sec!"

"Stop, man! That hurt!"

"Don't be so easily fooled." Dee warned. "These places might look safe, but they're anything but!"

"Are you crazy?" Wendy pushed past him. "We're the only people here!" She walked back into the park, "And there isn't another – "

Suddenly, something enormous launched out of the sandbox. _A monstrous earthworm stemmed from the soil; its toughened skin was covered with brown, armor-like scales. Sharpened spikes formed a straight line down its back. A yellow eye was attached to stalks on each side of its head. A black pit of a mouth was filled with dirty, decaying teeth, with two curving horns serving as a faux mustache._

The horrific larva leaned over, its massive shadow draping over Wendy, and released a deafening roar into her. Every hair on her body was blown back. Her clothing waved and grew wrinkled by the wave of hot air. The stench of its putrid breath lingered in Wendy's nostrils, turning her stomach sour.

As Wendy stood stunned by the earth-rattling roar, the worm lowered its head further and began to sniff the area above her head. Oddly enough, the creature closed its mouth and retracted into the hole from whence it came. The grass was replenished almost like it had never been parted in the first place

Dee loomed behind Wendy, carefully setting a hand against her back. He could feel the silent tremors flowing through her at lightning speed. "Are you alright?"

She slowly nodded, not as much as turning around to answer him fully.

"I know this is a bad time, but – "

"Don't say it…" The faint whisper escaped past Wendy's lips.

"…and I don't take pleasure in saying "I told you so…""

"Then, don't say it…"

"But I did tell you so – "

Wendy turned to her right and shouted, "OKAY! OKAY! JUST – JUST SHUT UP ALREADY! SHEESH!"

She stormed off with clenched fists back down the road and towards the mall's open doors. Dee followed along at a safe distance, as he clicked his tongue. "To the mall then …I guess…"

* * *

While Wendy followed Dee through the remains of the shopping mall, she noticed that nearly every store and outlet had been sealed shut with heavy-duty iron barrings and locks. From behind the grating, she could see that there had been a colossal amount of damage in several of the stores. Glass cases had been shattered, leaving broken shards across the titled floors. All of their products had been pulled their shelves, either stolen from their proper spots, or left behind on the ground. Even the cash registers were jimmied open, and all of their contents stolen.

"Oh, man…"

"What's up?" Dee noticed Wendy had stopped in front of one of the stores. "Wanted to do a bit of looting?"

"Huh?" Wendy waved the notion away. "No, it's just…this place; it looks really messed up. It's almost like…"

 _"…a warzone…"_

Wendy faced Dee as he stared deeply into the damaged store. "Things weren't always like this, you know. Even though it's where I got picked on a ton, and the local girls shot me down every weekend, it – it was a pretty decent place to hang out. Maybe – " He rested his head against the gate. "Maybe if we are able to stop all this, then things will go back to normal, or at least, as normal as it can be."

He looked up, as Wendy could see the broken-hearted eyes behind the 3D glasses. "Have you ever missed something so much, even though it kind of sucks?"

For the first time since entering the gaming dimension, Wendy thought of Gravity Falls. It was boring, plain, and somewhat lame, but a lingering in her heart grew for her hometown.

"Yeah, buddy. I can…"

*CRASH!*

Wendy spun around to the noise. An empty yellow cardboard box had fallen from the second floor. She picked it up and flipped it label-side-up. The center of the package was a ripped see-through plastic window.

"A "Fun Baby", eh?" She continued to study the box. "That's so weird. It looks like it was torn open from the inside out…"

Upon hearing that detail, Dee instantly snapped towards Wendy. "Drop that box!"

"But – "

Before Wendy could react, he slapped the broken case out of her hands. "DROP IT!"

"Dude, it was empty. Where's the fire?"

Dee held his chest and let out a huge exhale. "Thank heavens. It's not in there."

"What's not? What did you think was in there?"

His vision slowly rose back to the upper level of the mall. Dee's mouth twisted in an "O" shape as he took a few steps forward. _"There's dozens of them…"_

"Dozens of what?" Wendy lined herself up with Dee, finding him gawking at the window display of an upstairs toy store. Countless similar yellow boxes had been stacked into rows on a shelf within the paneled glass. She could see that within each package was _a tiny doll. Given a stereotypical black bowl haircut, the toy was dressed in a dark colored one piece outfit with sky blue sneakers. The figure's closed eyes were marked with ugly black circles around the sockets. Every face exhibited a disturbing frown, making it clear that it was meant to be anything but friendly._

Wendy noticed that Dee angled his squirt gun slightly to the sky. He didn't as much as break eye-contact with the display, like he was expecting something to happen.

"I don't get it. What is supposed to – "

It was then that the worst possible scenario crossed Wendy's mind: a truly dreadful nightmare that would easily fit into this form of altered reality:

 _"They're alive, aren't they?"_

*POP!* *POP!* *POP!* *POP!* *POP!* *POP!* *POP!* *POP!* *POP!*

Before Dee could answer, the entire shelf fill of Tiny Babies came to life! Their eyes opened, revealing blood red pupils. They hopped upwards, tearing free of their plastic restraints and through their clear packaging, and onto the second floor railing. In one fell swoop, the dolls poured down from above and onto the awe-struck teenagers.

"MOVE!"

Without thinking, Dee took Wendy by the hand and forced her out of harm's way. The split-second response seemed to last a lifetime to Wendy; the sense of worry and concern on Dee's face; his firm, steady grip as their palms met – she couldn't even count how many times Dipper had done the same for her throughout the summer nor she for him.

Once safe, they looked back to see that the blue wave had separated into neatly lined rows of eerie dolls standing in formation. Wendy's heart sunk into her knees as she spotted that every doll held a razor sharp hatchet in their hand; they looked nearly identical to her own missing one.

Such an instance served as a reminder of how much Wendy despised irony.

"DIE! DIE! DIE!"

The unpleasant chant spewed from each voice-box in perfect synchronicity. The dolls raced forward on small feet, wildly swinging and slashing the air in front of Dee and Wendy.

"DIE! DIE! DIE!"

"Don't worry…" Wendy shut an eye as she lined the barrel of her squirt gun with the first row of marching dolls. "I got this…"

"Wait! Don't!" Dee went to stop Wendy from firing, but he was too late. A blast of cool liquid splashed against a couple of the living play-things just as he forced her blaster downwards.

"Why'd you stop me? It's not – "

*SIZZLE!*

Wendy's attention went back to the row of soaked dolls. They began to convulse and steam from the inside. With weapons still clutched, the miniature threats began to spark from their fronts, until flames popped into the surface.

"How in the hell?"

"You see," Dee explained. "These things have a crap-ton of electronic gizmos in them. So, when you get them wet…"

"Oh…"

They watched as the enflamed toys blindly collided into the rows behind them. The fire quickly spread along with the masses as they touched together, creating a living, moving inferno wall.

"The fire's growing!"

"Of course they are! Did you think they were flame-retardant? They're kids' toys!"

"Oh, jeez! " Wendy slapped her forehead. "Are you sure your town wasn't messed up _before_ the monsters came?"

"Never mind that! They're coming!"

"What?!"

The militia of flame-covered dolls continued onward with their march of death. They went into multiple waves, flailing their weapons, and spouting their unified battle cry:

"DIE! DIE! DIE!"

"What do we do? What do we do?" Wendy frantically asked as they backed away from the swarm. "Trying to put the fires out would only make more dolls explode, right?"

"Probably…" Dee looked down at his soaker. "And even if would work, I don't think we'd have enough water in these babies to finish the job."

"So, tactical retreat it is?"

"You got it! Beeline to the back exit!"

They ran away from the horrors in the center court of the mall and rounded the nearest corner. Now safe, Wendy peeked over her shoulder, seeing that a barrage of flying, fire-coated hatchets flew right past her.

"Oh, come on!" She said with a sense of envy. "That's not fair at all!"

"Neighbors! At Two O' Clock!"

Wendy looked ahead to see that there were two more apparently-clueless bystanders wandering about aimlessly. _An elderly woman in a long, form-hiding grayish dress stood in front of a shuttered convenience mart to her far left. With her faded dark hair wrapped into a tight bun, the biddy held a long black pointer in one hand, and what appeared to be a term paper in the other. The top of the paper was marked with a large red F._

 _"Bleech! A teacher…"_

On the other side of the mall, there was _a ridiculously-thin blonde haired cheerleader standing before an automatic escalator. With fluffy white pom-poms in hand, the red-uniformed girl hopped up and down as she idiotically practiced her routine:_

"D-E-A-D! That's what I don't wanna be! No-o-o-o! DEAD!"

 _"…or the airhead. Choices, choices…"_

"I got the granny!" Dee sprang into action and made haste to the mini-mart. Wendy moaned as she darted towards the escalator. Just as she was about to set foot on the first step…

"WENDY! HELP!"

She turned back to see that Dee had been tackled by a new type of monster. _A red-orangish blob had pinned the lightweight teen firmly against the ground. Dee struggled to pull himself out from under the moving liquid, his fingernails scrapping into the chipped floor tile, only to have more of the creature's tendrils wrap around his body and yank him back under._

Wendy bit her lip as she went back and forth between the two victims. She stomped her foot in frustration and hurried back to Dee. "Hang on! I'm coming!"

"No! Stay back!" He held a hand out as a warning. "Don't get too close, or else, it'll grab you, too!"

She stopped on a dime. "Well, what should I do then? The water gun won't work, right?"

Dee's head lowered due to the blob's growing weight on his back. "Cold…"

"Buddy, I know it's cold and probably super-yucky under there, but that doesn't help – "

"No, I mean, think "cold…""

"Oh…"

Wendy searched around for something would be able to free her friend from the gooey invader's grip. She spotted an outside sliding freezer by the quick stop where the teacher once stood. Wendy threw the window to the right as a blast of frigid air struck her upper body, making her shiver slightly.

"Yeah…" Wendy dug throughout the array of frozen treats and beverages, trying to find the right item for the job. "These…should do nicely. Hope the folks that own this place don't mind the "four-fingered discount…""

With a pair of sealed popsicles in her left hand, and a twelve pack of cola in her right, Wendy ran back to the entrapped Dee, making sure to keep her space to avoid being snared as well. She tore the wrapper from the popsicles with her teeth, and underhand tossed them both into the sentient gelatin.

As soon as the icy treat sunk into the blob's center, its squirming came to an instant pause. A wave of crystallization traveled from its middle to the outsides, leaving it frozen solid within seconds.

"Cold…now, super-cold…"

Wendy walked over to the defeated blob, raised her right leg, and hurled a sneaker straight through its icy body. "Ugh!"

The former monster shattered into a thousand pieces, releasing its sticky grip on Dee. He crawled out from his icy prison, stood up, and brushed off its now-solid remains. With a rush of amazement, Dee went over to Wendy and shook her excitedly by her shoulders. "That was amazing! You were…maybe you _are_ an action movie hero!"

"Well," she crossed her arms. "I try. You're just lucky I heard you before – " Her pride changed to absolute terror as she remembered. "Ah, damn it! I forgot about the bimbo!"

"Bimbo?!"

Leaving behind a confused Dee, Wendy tossed the pack of soda into his bread basket and sped back to the escalator. She spotted one of the killer dolls approaching the oblivious cheerleader from behind. Its sharpen blade was held high over its body.

"D-E-A-D! That's what I don't wanna be! No-o-o-o! DEAD!"

Wendy leapt onto the escalator; its moving steps actually pushed her back away from her goal. _"What?! What jerk decided to put these things in reverse?"_ No matter how fast she ran, it seemed that her feet couldn't keep up with the ever-increasing speeds beneath them.

"How…stupid…just screw it!" With her frustration reaching a high, Wendy hopped onto the moving railing and carefully balanced herself up the banister. She attempted to reach out and touch the cheerleader's hand…

"AAHHH!"

The blonde's body became enveloped in a familiar blue light. An angelic image bearing her image hovered over the ground before taking its leave towards the sky.

"Oh no! Bah!"

Wendy felt a small pinch on the back of her right hand. She turned it over to see that a second X mark appeared on her knuckle.

 _"Not again! So, it is related to the monsters' victims. What happens if I get to strike three?"_

"TEEHEETEEHEE!"

The murderous toy laughed at her failure before making its escape across the second floor of the mall. With the enraged fifteen-year-old seeing red, she jumped from the escalator and went after the pint-size threat.

"Why you – Get back here! I'm not finished with you!"

Chasing the doll around several bends, Wendy noticed that there were several signs hanging overhead leading to the mall's exit. "No, you don't! You're not getting away that easy!"

With one last turn, she was forced to grind to a stop. The entire squadron of flaming toys blocked the double doors leading back to the outside world. In unity, they marched towards Wendy as their rallying cry echoed throughout the empty hall:

"DIE! DIE! DIE!"

Outnumbered, Wendy began to backpedal until she bumped into something solid.

"Man, you can really move it when you want you, can't ya?"

An out-of-breath Dee stood behind her with the packs of pop in his arms. He leaned over to see the burning, breathing corpus. "So, any ideas how to get pass that?"

Wendy's mind raced as she backed away further, right into the frosty cans in Dee's hands. She gasped and twirled around, taking half of the pack from him. "Gimme that!" With an impish smile forming, Wendy held the sodas tightly and started to shake them furiously.

Dee couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Are you nuts?! What did you think you're doing?!"

"Follow my lead, and shake those cans!"

He grumbled under his breath and did was he was told. The killer dolls were halfway across the room.

"Wendy…"

She took the sodas and held them over her head. "Now! Throw them into the crowd!"

The two six-packs were flung directly into the center of the flock. They exploded upon contact, sending splashes of brown cola in every possible direction. A wave of steam evaporated into the ceiling as every ounce of fire was quenched by the sticky beverage. Every single doll lied motionless and face down in the puddles.

"I can't believe it!" Dee exclaimed. "That actually worked!"

"To be honest," Wendy brushed a loose red lock under her hat. "I'm kinda mad at myself for not thinking of it earlier."

Once the sparks had finally faded from the scene, Wendy and Dee walked through the mess, their feet sticking to the soda-covered flooring until they made it outside. They strode down a flight of stairs and back down to street-level.

"I'll hate to admit it," Dee confessed. "But that thing with the pop was totally awesome!"

"Eh, it was no biggie." Wendy shrugged. "Besides, you weren't too shabby yourself…"

"You think so?"

"Uh-huh…"

"Well, I hope you have more great ideas like that…because _we're here._ "

"What? Already?!"

Sure enough, the looming, mysterious mansion that Wendy had spotted in the horizon was now a crosswalk away on the other side of the street.

"Time out!" She motioned with her hands. "You mean to tell me that the old fart built his massive home across the street from a mall?!"

"I dunno. Maybe he didn't want to walk far for his groceries?

Wendy held up an index finger, ready for rebuttal, only to lower it a second later. She didn't have the time or energy to argue back.

The entrance into the castle was barred by a heavy-duty wooden door held together by two metal bands leading back to two ghastly stone faces. They were sealed in the center by a small keyhole. The walls of the fortress were built with rock-hand granite that stretched down the entirely of the block, save for a small portion of a green lawn. The whole scene looked like something brought to the present from the Middle Ages.

"All this guy needs is a moat and he'd be set…" Wendy pulled and tugged on the door to no prevail. "Rats!" She kicked the door in frustration. "It won't budge! You wouldn't happen to have a key, would you?"

Dee double-checked his pockets, pulling them outwards to show her. "Nope. Sorry."

"Well, now what – " Wendy stopped as she spotted something off on the ground near her sneakers. A lone plastic pebble stuck out between a neatly arranged rock garden. She plucked it up and began to poke at it from every possible angle.

Her partner looked on in confusion. "What's the deal with the rock? You gonna use it to force your way in?

"No…need…" Wendy's fingertips finally found the hidden latch on the fake stone. She topped the top, revealing a hidden golden key within the hollow piece. "We can just count on old people being old people!"

Dee laughed as Wendy placed the key into the door's hole and turned the lock. The wooden doors parted with an unnerving *C-C-C-REAK!* The two raced into the home as the entrance sealed itself shut behind them.

*CLICK!*

"I guess there's no going back now…"

Wendy shook her head in agreement, "There rarely is. But enough metaphorical mumbo-jumbo. We're here, and we still have a job to do."

"So, let's get to work!"

* * *

The duo walked through the dimly lit hallway, coming across a bright and decorative parlor. Fancy, handmade red and brown carpeting covered the cold, stony flooring. Luscious, thick rosy drapes over the windows blocked the gentle moonlight from entering the room. All of the furniture in the room was protected with white sheeting, themselves containing a thin layer of dust. Towering, well-sanded bookcases were placed against the walls, filled to the brim with various medical journals and hard covered scientific resources. A roaring fireplace was stationed in between.

"Dead-end, huh?" Dee sat down on the couch. He coughed as a wave of dirt entered his lungs. "Maybe we should check for a secret staircase or something like that. After all, this place looked a lot bigger from the outside."

"No way!" Wendy shot him down. "In a horror movie, you never go upstairs unless you absolutely have to!" She went on with searching every nook and cranny of the parlor. "You said something about that scientist-guy doing experiments on the people of your town, right? If anything, we're looking for a way down, to like a secret lab or dungeon, and so on…"

Wendy's emerald eyes kept coming back to the welcoming fire at the far end of the room. She deepened her stare, past the bright flame, noticing that the fireplace didn't have a back wall to it.

"Huh…" She pondered, waving Dee over to her. "C'mere for a sec, will ya?"

"What's up?"

Wendy stood back and retrieved her water blaster. "On three, soak that fireplace!"

"One…two…THREE!"

Their simultaneous blasts reduced the flame to ashes. A new crawlspace could be seen past the halfway-destroyed kindling. They snuck through the files of soot and into a new shadowy chamber.

"I knew it! I knew something was up with that guy! And to think, no one believed me when…"

"Just…wow…"

Dee and Wendy were standing in the middle of a filthy and dank dungeon. A number of worn, but sturdy timber gates led into individual cells. A small barred window allowed a meager view into each hold. Innumerable skeletons were displayed on the cobblestone walls from shackles attached at the wrists and ankles. Opened gates built into the flooring allowed an unknown liquid to be filtered through. The only source of light came from a series of barely-burning torches hanging overhead.

"Okay, we have to keep our heads. For all we know, there's probably a poor soul in each one of these – "

To Dee's surprise, Wendy was way ahead of him. Keeping her main goal in check, she kicked opened the nearest cell and shouted into it. "Dipper?!"

 _Instead, she found a middle-aged couple waiting patiently for their rescue. They were dressed in their vacating clothes; the man sporting an undersized Hawaiian shirt that exposed his beer gut. His black shorts were left unzipped for the same reason. His wife wore a red bandanna over her mattered brown hair. Her purple, polka-dot dress reached down to her sandaled feet. Both adults took picture after picture with old-fashioned instant cameras. The shine from the snapshots reflected off of their sunglasses._

"Oh, hello! Is this part of the tour?"

"No!" Wendy reached inside of the cell and touched the pair, sending them off to a safer place. The markings on her right hand served as a reminder not to dare leave any living thing behind. She moved on to the next cell, caving it in with another well-placed kick.

"Dip? Are you there?!"

Another cheerleader had been hidden behind the sealed door. As with her fallen friend, she began to perform her routine:

"D-E-A-D! That's what I don't –"

"Just – Just get outta here! I don't have time for this!"

With another slap, Wendy had sent another innocent, yet naïve soul away from the horrendous scene. She moved from cell to cell, breaking open each door and hoping that she'd eventually find her partner in crime locked away within.

"C'mon…Dipper! Damn!"

"Dip?"

"Please let him be…Dipper?"

Three more neighbors had been recovered, but still, Dipper was nowhere to be found. At long last, Wendy found herself at the very last prison cell. She took a deep breath, _"He's here; he has to be here…"_

*CRASH!*

"I say…" Wendy stopped in mid-step as she found _an archaeologist in the final cell. The man, dressed in a stereotypical tan pith-helmet, short shirt and long shorts searched the area with a magnifying glass in a constant loop. He twirled his handlebar mustache with his free hand. "Fascinating. Truly fascinating…"_

The dejected clerk gazed past the odd stranger, her stunned silence turning into an almost manic laugh. After sending the archaeologist on his way with the touch of her hand, Wendy stumbled out of the cell and rested her weary body against the nearest wall; her head was buried deep into a folded arm.

"Who's Dipper?"

The laugher stopped as Wendy pulled herself up and back. She looked back towards Dee, who was stunned by the ginger's gleaming eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"He's…" Wendy sniffed. "He's not here."

"This Dipper – is he your boyfriend?"

"He's a boy who's also a friend, yes." Wendy corrected. "And I have no idea where he is." Her sadness turned to rage as she threw a fist against the hardened wall. "This whole thing's been for nothing! I'm no closer to finding him then when I started!"

"But look at all the good you've done! All the people you've helped me save! They'd be goners without you!"

Wendy couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty. Granted, everyone in this world was make-believe; the furthest thing from being real. And still, the earnest and modesty of the young man before her did nothing but remind her of her missing friend. _Helping Dee is exactly what Dipper would have done._

Dee motioned down the hall, towards an opened, flashing room. The crackle of live electricity would be heard in the background. "But to make sure everyone stays safe, there's one last thing we have to do."

She wiped her eyes and nose, gripping her squirt pin tightly. "Ah, what the hell. We might as well get this thing over with…"

Wendy followed Dee into the passage. They sprinted under a set of huge conductors that shot lightning bolts back and forth at rapid speed. Huge metal tables reached across the room, each covered with illegible notes and beakers filled in multi-colored liquids. A half a dozen examination tables outfitted with iron restraints were positioned against the furthest wall. On the other end, there were a number of broken, people-sized glass containers and tanks. Each had been shattered opened; the shards on the outside proved that something had broken out from the inside.

 _"Maybe that's where all those experiments came from?"_

"There he is! Hurry!"

Dee pointed his water gun directly at _an elderly, hunchbacked man standing beside a closed window. His bald head reflected the pale moon light. His plain, coke-rimmed brown glasses had been bent and cracked in several places, supported by a long, dorky nose that reminded Wendy of Robbie's. His white overcoat was stained with dust, dirt, and burns. His brown slacks had slight tears at the knees and cuffs. The man held a beaker full of a mysterious yellow elixir._

Wendy followed point after Dee as he began to bark orders at his long-time nemesis. "Alright, Doc. Your reign of terror has gone on long enough! Why don't you put whatever that junk is on the ground and surrender peacefully. You have a lot to answer for!"

"Yeah!" The high-schooler chipped in, "What he said!"

The cornered mad scientist blinked, unfazed by the threats. He shrugged aimlessly before bringing the solution to his mouth and drinking it whole.

"No! Wait!"

"Man, this guy truly is a whack-job! What was that stuff?!"

 _The doctor's body melted away into a red puddle on the floor. The solution began to frantically bubble and boil before becoming solid flesh again. The now-purple mass sprouted a large, furry backside. The doctor's beady eyes had split and divided into six coal-like pupils. Eight green and black striped legs grew from its rear end, each ending with a deadly purple tip. Two smaller pinchers popped out of the front as a massive jaw was bore into existence, complete with a pair of mighty purple incisors on the sides._

"It's…" Wendy choked on her breath. "…a giant tarantula!"

"What are you waiting for? Shoot it!"

"Will this thing even work?"

"Won't know until we try. Now, fire!"

*CLICK!* *CLICK!*

Their water guns let out an echo click. Dee and Wendy opened the tops, announcing their findings at the same time:

"IT'S EMPTY!"

With the teens distracted, the monstrous spider pulled a leg back and swiped it against them. Wendy and Dee were thrown backwards, right into the edge of a nearby research table. They cried out in pain as their backs hit the solid metal, sending them both onto their knees.

"Ugh!"

"Ah!"

The pair rose back up on shaky legs, looking to one another for moral support.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm cool. You?"

*THWIP!* *THWIP!*

Before either could recover, the beastly arachnid launched a white projectile from its underbelly. Wendy went to move, discovering that her legs wouldn't obey! She glanced down to see that she was now ankle-deep in a strand of sticky web. Wendy yanked and jerked in place, but she couldn't free her sneakers from the goo."

"My feet…" The girl struggled again for freedom. "They're stuck! I can't move!"

"Me, neither…"

She saw that Dee was trapped in the same substance. With every pull of his legs, the web's strands would bring them back to their original position."

"This stuff…" Wendy bemoaned. "It's like being caught up in bubblegum!"

"I wish I still had that weed wacker. It'd cut us out of this mess like that!"

"So, what do we do now?!"

*R –O –A – R!"

Their planning was interrupted by the tarantula's bellowing. It drew even closer to its pinned prey, menacing its unhinged jaw repeatedly. Flows of oozing salvia came pouring out of its opened mouth like a waterfall.

"Ew!" Wendy pushed herself back as much as the gooey trap would allow to avoid getting slobbered on. Her hand traveled behind her on the metal table came around a strange-feeling object. "Huh? What's this?" She tightened her hold on the item and brought it around to her front.

It was another glass beaker similar to the one that the Doctor drank. It even had the same type of yellow liquid inside!

"Wha?" Dee looked up from his failed escape attempts. "Did you find something?"

"Um…" Wendy displayed the potion. "Kinda…"

A sense of dread overcame his face. "Wendy, you can't! You don't even know if that's the same stuff!"

"Well, what choice do we have?! It's either that, or we stay here and get eaten!"

"It's not worth the risk!"

Wendy eyed the elixir in her hand. The mutated spider went back on its hind legs, rising up into the air, ready to pounce into the final blow.

"There's one thing you should always remember about me, Dee…"

"No!" He tried to reach out for her, coming up short on every attempt.

"…is that I'm all about taking risks!" With that, Wendy held the beaker up to her lips and drank the entirely of its contents. Instantly, a throbbing pain exploded within her ribs. The container slipped through Wendy's fingers as it crashed into the floor into a million pieces.

"…Wendy?"

With her arms wrapped around her chest, Wendy's legs gave out, bringing her down to her knees. _Her breathing began to grow shallow; her pants and cries becoming something feral. Large patches of thick red hair formed in place of freckled skin. Her biceps grew muscular, ripping through her jacket. Her thighs, now completely covered with auburn hair, cracked as her knees hunched off. Clawed toes tore through her sneakers, freeing her from the monster's captivity._

 _Her pierced ears became pointed and opened, like a wolf's. Wendy's stubby nose collapsed into a black, wet pad. Her mouth outstretched as her jawline expanded, revealing row upon row of sharpen teeth. With the only sign of her humanity, the trucker cap, remaining on her head, she sat on her back legs and released an unearthly roar, bringing the colossal spider to a stop._

*GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!*

Without warning, Wendy flew through the air and tackled the spider. She pounded against its tender undercarriage with her bare fists, making it wail out in utter agony!

"Yes!" Dee threw a fist into the air. "Go get 'em, Wendy! Tear him a new one!"

"That's…the…plan…" A gravelly voice answered from the red-haired beast as she lobbed the Doctor up against the wall. With its body right-side up, it swiped at Wendy with its numerous legs. She ducked and dodged the attacks, making sure to seize the last limb. Grasping the leg in both hands, Wendy snapped it over her knee, cracking it into two pieces, and releasing a torrent of green goo!

"QQQQUUUEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Okay…" Dee burped in nausea at the gruesome display. "Getting kinda gross, but you're…you're still cool…"

The spider tried to stand, instantly falling back to the ground without the aid of its damaged leg. It was then when Wendy spotted an unusual detail: there was a flashing green jewel in the monster's stomach.

 _"So…that's…what…you're…hiding…."_

Wendy flipped the spider fully into its back using both supercharged hands. She dug her newly-given claws into the spider's gut, making it squeal and shriek loudly. As it lay helplessly, flailing its remaining limbs in the air, the cashier turned beast took a hold of the emerald gem and pulled it from the spider's belly.

*KA-BOOM!*

The room ignited with a blast of ash and smoke. When the air cleared a few seconds later, only Wendy, still in her transformed state remained. There was no trance of the mad scientist to be found.

"I can't – Wendy, that – I mean, that was the greatest thing I've ever seen!"

The furry protector marched back towards the still-stuck fanboy. Her heavy footsteps made him shake with every step. With a wave of her clawed-hands, Wendy removed the webbing from Dee's legs. To her shock, the boy sprung up and hugged her tightly.

"We did it! It's over! We've won!"

 _"Grrr…"_

Dee loosened his grip as Wendy started to growl again. She broke free of his embrace and faced the glass paneled window; it was like there was an unleashed sixth sense within her, sounding an alert had the battle hadn't concluded just yet.

*BOOM!*

They bounced in place from where they stood.

*BOOM!*

"W-What's happening?"

*BOOM!*

"It's…not…over…"

Wendy clomped over to the window and looked outside for the source of the earthquakes.

*BOOM!*

While trying to maintain his balance, Dee finally made it to her side. "What do you see? What is it, girl?"

Wendy snarled at the comment, but another rumble returned her sights back to the outside world.

*BOOM!*

At last, Dee could make out what Wendy was focused on. In his disbelief, he took off his 3D glasses and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"What in the world – "

*BOOM!*

On the main street just outside of the Mad Doctor's castle, _a fifty-foot infant boy wearing nothing but a white cloth diaper pranced around with playful glee. Clutching an equally large bottle, he squeezed it firmly, sending large amounts of liquid splattering onto the world below him. Windows were shattered and cars were dented and broken into pieces like mere toys. The baby took a step forward, knocking over a fire hydrant, and releasing a rush of flowing water into the night sky. He reached up towards a set of power lines, clipping up from their connected source, and leaving them on the ground, wildly bucking about towards any unfortunate soul that would cross them._

"Oh, man…" Dee backed away from the window. "Even I didn't think that he'd – that poor kid was one of the old man's experiments." He noticed that Wendy was heading in the same direction of the giant baby. "And where are you going now?"

She paused, her massive body bobbing up and down as she took heavy breath after heavy breath.

"Out…there…I…can…stop…it."

"But like that?" Dee asked, remembering how she easily deposed of the spider-monster. "But you'll – "

"I…know…what…I'm…doing…"

He grabbed her arm. "Wendy, please don't! He's just an innocent kid! He doesn't know what he's doing!"

"I…said…" She flung the boy from her with a short thrust. "Leave…me…BE!"

*CRASH!*

Even before Dee could pick himself off the ground, Wendy had already punched a hole through the castle. She marched down the street and faced down the massive infant. He cooed and giggled at the sight of the red-haired beast standing before him. Thinking of the encounter as a game, he reached out for Wendy, only for her to push his enormous hand away.

"Geez…" Dee watched the scene unfold from the castle's windowsill. "Wendy, please don't do what I think you'll do…"

Denied by his new toy, the baby let out an angry cry, and attempted to dart across Wendy in order to new mischief. Just as he was about to pass, the altered girl stuck out a fuzzy foot, and tripped the toddler. He yowled noisily as he began to stumble back to earth.

"Wendy!" Dee shouted from inside. "What are you doing?!"

Just as he was about to collide with the cement, Wendy caught the child within her arms. She stepped back and raised a mighty hand over the baby's back end.

"She's going to spank him! Poor little guy! I can't watch!"

Instead, Wendy moved her hand upwards and gently pounded on the infant's back with her palm. After a few attempts, the baby raised his head and unleashed a thunderous burp. The sonic boom caused by the blast destroyed every window in a mile's radius.

*POOF!*

Dee covered his face as a bright light launched up from the middle of the street. He rushed out into the madness, using the exit that Wendy had created to see what happened. When the world returned to normal, he found a human Wendy, with clothing and footwear restored, carefully rocking a regular-sized baby boy in her arms.

"What – "

"SHH!"

"Sorry." Dee lowered his voice to a whisper. "What was that? How did you – "

"I told you I had it under control." Wendy answered with a smile as her sights returned to the child in her hold. "I grew up helping to raise three brothers. I think I know when a baby has to be burped."

"Well, I'll be…" The amazed boy placed his hands on his hips. "And you got to admit: he's kinda cute when he's not reign total terror on us from above."

Wendy playfully poked the baby's nose. "You got that right." With the single touch, the infant was whisked away in a gentle light, leaving her and Dee alone in the neighborhood. She looked down at her now-empty arms, finding that the two red Xs on her right hand that vanished from sight.

"Whoa! That's new!"

She glanced ahead past Dee to see that a mysterious door had appeared out of the ether. The doorway slowly opened under its own power as a glowing "EXIT" sign flashed on and off like an eatery sign.

"Yeah, it definitely is." Wendy carefully made her way towards it. "I wonder what it's for?"

"Well, that's easy." Dee declared. "It's obviously for you."

"Huh?"

"I mean, you still have a "boy who's a friend but not a boyfriend" to save, right? How else did you expect to get there?"

"True…"

"And it's not like I can come with you, you know. Someone has to stay behind and restore civilization. And with my smarts and charms, I'll have this place running in no time."

Wendy scoffed. "I'm sure you will, buddy." She stepped towards the door, unaware of where it would take her next.

"Wait…"

Dee reached out and stopped Wendy. "Before you go, and for real this time…" He offered her a simple, but solemn open hand. "Thank you for everything you've done to save this place. I couldn't have done it without you."

Wendy gazed at the hand for a second before throwing her own into it. "Consider it my pleasure. You take care of yourself, Dee…"

"…Derek."

"Hmm?"

He blushed. "My real name. It's actually Derek. I just like Dee for short."

"Huh…" Wendy released her grip, as she was reminded her of _another dork embarrassed by his name._ "Imagine that…"

Just before she entered the door, Wendy looked back towards the teen waving her good-bye. "Hey, kid?"

"Yeah?"

"You should use "Derek" more often. It's a lot nicer…"

"Maybe I will…"

Wendy winked at him, turned back around, and walked through the doorway. Once more, the world around her evaporated with a heavenly white light. As she faded from one existence into the next, Wendy could only laugh at the strange coincidence revealed moments before.

 _"HA…Boys…"_


	4. Chapter 4

_So, so sorry for the wait, guys. A number of factors kept dragging this chapter in constant delay, but my number-one reasoning is that I felt this had to be everything had it could possibly be. So, at long last, please enjoy, and after a quick break, I'll see you with Chapter 5. Thank you all for your ongoing support and happy holidays._

* * *

 _"Hush, hush...  
_ _I thought I heard you're calling my name now.  
Hush, hush...  
_ _You broke my heart, but that was a dream now.  
Hush, hush...  
_ _I thought I heard you're calling my name now.  
Hush, hush...  
_ _You broke my heart, but that was a dream now."_

"Hush," by Kula Shaker.

 **Chapter 4 – SNIP!**

 _"TWEET-TWEET!"_

 _"Huh?" Dipper lifted his head up from his raised knees and opened his eyes. Through the limited light given, he could see something small and round floating in front of his cage. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, thinking that they might be playing tricks on him._

 _"TWEET-TWEET!"_

 _"What is that?" Another sound made Dipper crawl over to the cage's locked door on his hands and knees. He narrowed his eyes, in hopes of getting a better look at the oddity._

 _"TWEET-TWEET!"_

 _Dipper saw that a blue metallic bird was flapping about in front of his cage on curved titanium wings. A white, featherless face struck out of its stout, circular body. Its glowing green eyes offered a bit of additional light in the dark chamber. Yellow, stubby steel talons were attached its tan-colored bottom. A sequence of curious and high-pitched tweets was produced from the bird's orange beak._

 _Judging by its cute appearance and gentle nature, Dipper could tell that the robot bird was anything but a threat. He reached past the bars of the cage and began to gently pet the creature. "Hey, there. Are you stuck in this messed-up hole, too?"_

 _The bird shut his eyes and cooed in Dipper's hands. He flipped the tiny bird over, noticing that its round figure looked almost like a helmet. His fingers traveled upon a succession of buttons across the bird's blue forehead that resembled an exclamation mark._

 _"Wait a second," Dipper noted as he started to flashback. "That mark…on a blue helmet; it seems so familiar, and yet…"_

 _*SCREECH!*_

 _The bird started to give a strange buzzing sound. Dipper spun it upwards to meet it face-to face. Its green eyes had turned to a gray, jumping static._

 _"It looks a signal. But where – "_

 _Dipper flinched as the faint image of a shadowy shape appeared in the dual-eyes-turned-screens. The imagery continued to click and warp in an attempt to becoming clear. He could make of a calming voice crackling through speakers hidden away somewhere on the bird's body._

 _"There you are, my boy. So, my readings were indeed correct! But not to worry; help will be on the way…"_

 _"Wait." Dipper raised an eyebrow. "I know that voice! You're – "_

 _*WHAM!*_

 _*SCREECH! SCREECH!*_

 _A clenched fist flew out of the darkness and on top of the robotic bird, sending it smashing into the ground. In thanks to its round body, it rolled over the ground until it was stopped by a boot holding it into place._

 _The bird innocently flapped its wings, trying to free itself and crying aloud in pain through chirps and screeches as the kidnapper came into view._

 _"What in the hell is this?" The metal frame began to crack as more weight was applied against it. "Where did you come from?"_

 _"Don't!" Dipper strained his body against the bars of the cage, unable to reach either being. "It's just – "_

 _As the mysterious captor focused ahead on Dipper, the little blue bird took advantage of the distraction. It forced its way out from underfoot, making the abductor slip and lose balance. Once freed, the android sailed upwards and over towards the wild yonder, all the while tweeting and squawking in a panic until it disappeared from sight._

 _"No! Get back here!"_

 _"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Dipper cheered as he smiled in the first time that seemed like forever. "Go! Go! Get outta here before – " His rejoicing came to a sudden halt as he was faced with an extremely angry snatcher. It lunged towards his cage with a deafening roar, seizing it with both hands and pulling it upwards, sending Dipper flying against the back end of the cage. The kidnapper bellowed into the tight confinement, violently shaking the cell with every question asked._

 _"What was that thing?!"_

 _"I don't - "_

 _"What did you tell it?!"_

 _"I didn't – "_

 _"Don't lie to me!" The cage tremored harder, bouncing Dipper back and forth like a pinball. "I heard you talking to someone! Now, who?!"_

 _"I don't know!" Dipper's voice cracked in a nervous fashion. "I have no clue who or what that bird was, okay!"_

 _"Maybe you still don't understand how this works yet, kid!" The fiend pressed their face against the front of the cage's bars. "This isn't a game. You're not going anywhere! There isn't going to be some miraculous rescue coming! You're mine, Dipper; mine and mine alone, and there isn't a force in this universe or the next that can change that, so the faster you get it through that fat head of yours, the better we'll all be. Capisce?!"_

 _Dipper reluctantly nodded, knowing that he had no chance while in captivity like this._

 _"Good!" It threw the cage downwards, making Dipper pop up and down, forcing him to grip the bars and plant his feet to stop vibrating. As his world finally stopped shaking, the entrapped detective watched his captor return to the darkness from hence it came. He lifted the cap from his head and itched the back of his curly brown hair in confusion._

 _"What the heck was that all about?"_

 _He looked around the now-empty chamber; another reminder that he was all alone in this place with no way to free himself. Depressed, Dipper sat back against the bars of the cage, resting his head on top of his knees, as his mind went back to wandering…_

* * *

*KRAK!*

Wendy rose out of bed as lightning struck the earth. Instinct instantly made her turn towards the window as the world gave off a bright light as thunder filled the night air. The beading of raindrops against the smooth glass echoed through the small room.

*KRAK!*

"No…way…"

Wendy wiped the sleep away from her eyes. Everything that she had been through: Dipper disappearing into the gaming universe, hopping from world to world, battling magical tyrants and blasting away stereotypical movie monsters throughout suburbia; was it nothing but some sort of messed-up dream?

"Ugh…" She moaned, wiping her red bangs away from her face. "I really have to lay off of the spicy food before hitting the hay." The redhead let out a sigh of relief as she fell back on her pillow. She stared up at the darkened ceiling, her sights moving towards the handcrafted headboard looming over her. Looking upwards, all of the breath in Wendy's body was sucked out, leaving a gnawing pain in the pit of her stomach.

 _She was not in her bed. This was not her faint little cabin in the woods._

Wendy jolted upwards again and turned around. Gone was the collection of photos taped to the bedrail as well as her branded initial. Her pine-tree adorned comforter was replaced with a rich and silky blanket that felt soft to the touch.

She examined the room, seeing that it was belonged to someone obviously well off. The walls were covered in designer wallpaper. A copper-based four-way light was mounted into the center of the ceiling. An expensive dresser was set in the far left corner of the room; a large mirror fixed to it was covered with a long, white dust protector. Thick red draping covered the rain-drenched window, as another lightning bolt came roaring down, illuminating the room yet again for a split second.

Wendy spotted a tiny, yet stylish lamp sitting on a nightstand to her right. She reached over and clicked the switch. The light refused to turn on.

"Grand…" She scoffed, going back to the raging storm outside. "Guess the power's out. But how'd I end up here?"

As Wendy lowered her feet to the floor, another new detail made her cry out in disgust. "Oh, yuck!" _She had been dressed in a lengthy, navy-blue dress that gone past her shins, ending before reaching her ankles. Thin straps wrapped across her shoulders for support. A long-sleeved white blouse was set under it. The open collar was wrinkled due to the way Wendy slept. Her auburn hair had been perfectly straightened and pulled back._

"How the hell?!" An outraged Wendy took a hold of the dress and widened it for a better look. "I look like a goofy plastic doll!" Cold creeps ran down Wendy's spine as a horrid thought popped into her mind. _"I really, really hope this stuff was magically zapped on me."_

Her attention shifted to the raging storm outside of the bedroom window. Wendy discovered that she was in the far end of a looming, square-shaped mansion on a secluded mountainside. The surrounding area was blanketed with hundreds of tall redwoods as far as the eye could see. They rolled and twirled in response to the heavy rains mercilessly drenching them from every angle.

She chuckled, _"Kinda reminds me of the ol' Northwest place…or should I say "McGucket" now?"_

Strangest of all, a huge tower had been erected in the center of the manor. Reaching towards the heavens, a gigantic turret clock had been built into the green-lined building. Bolts of lightning struck the neighboring area repeatedly, as if the arrangement itself had attracted it.

 _"And here I thought that McMansion in the last place was overkill."_ Wendy thought. _"What kind of_ _nutbag builds a clock tower into their home?"_

She stood up and began towards the exit, only to feel a sharp, pinching pain in both of her feet. "Ahh!" Wendy stopped and tried to glance downwards, her view obstructed by the blue gown. With a grunt, she pulled back at the cloth, discovering _that she was wearing tight-fitting dark blue dress shoes with nyloned socks. Wendy lifted a foot, finding that the bottoms were hard and incredibly thick. The heels were ridged and raised, reminding her of nurses' shoes._

"Geez…" The girl winced, taking step after painful step. "This is worse than walking in high heels."

Wendy turned the doorknob and walked into a dank hallway. A number of lit lanterns were hung from bases placed along the purple-covered passage. Her heels resonated across the wooden-planned flooring. Numerous sealed doors made of thick oak surrounded her on her left and right.

"Man," The determined teenager persisted onwards, the throbbing in her peds fading to the back of her consciousness as new concerns arose. "There's so many rooms here…it'll take me, like forever and two days to search them all."

At the far end of the hall, Wendy perceived a mist rising from the flooring on the far left. Upon taking a closer look, she realized that it was actually a warm steam stemming from one of the rooms. _She had found a sign of life._

"Bingo!" She snapped her fingers. _"That probably means someone's in the bathroom. Maybe they can tell me what's going on here."_ Wendy staggered towards the new discovery. The long dress prevented her from running towards her goal. The tight-fitting loafers made it so she could barely power-walk there.

As Wendy passed another gorgeous glass window, complete with red trim, she paused, as something caught the corner of her eye. Two small, glowing yellow lights beamed into the room, like they were eyes watching her every move. She turned towards the glare, finding nothing there. Despite this, her nerves were on full-alert. _"I could have sworn…"_

At long last, Wendy arrived at the door. She rattled the wood with her knuckles and lowered her head, "Excuse me? Is anyone there?"

A moment passed. No one answered back, yet the fifteen-year-old heard the sound of running water.

"'Cuse me?" Wendy raised her voice, and waited another instance, as no response was given. She shrugged her shoulders. _"They probably can't hear me because of the water."_ After a slight hesitation, Wendy clutched the door handle and slowly pulled it, making it creak loudly. She stepped into the room, as it filled to the brim with thick steam. Waving away the mist, Wendy nearly tripped over the white porcelain toilet bolted into the wall. Next to it, a matching sink and mirror had been completely fogged over. A modest light was built into the structure _. "Alright. So, there is some power in this place. Weird, but good news still."_

She spun back around, finding a running shower in the right hand corner. A dark, yet thinning silhouette stood motionless behind the shower curtain. A sour, yet familiar scent entered Wendy's nostrils. She swallowed hard; the situation was definitely off, but this was the closest thing she had to an answer.

"Hello?" Wendy called out to the stranger. She began to walk carefully towards them. "I know this sounds super-messed-up, but I really need your hel – "

*SPLASH!*

She gazed down at the tiled floor. Her shoe had stepped into a warm, sticky red liquid. Wendy traced to the source back to the edge of the tub. It was then when she noticed the person's wrists held together by a hemp rope and bound to the showerhead.

Wendy gasped and took a step back. The gruesome scene promptly triggered her memory; she recognized that bitter scent. It was the same stench that followed her father after a hard day's worth of hunting in the woods.

 _"I-I-I've gotta book! NOW!"_

She whirled around and raced for the door, as it opened on its own. A figure that barely came up to her waist limped into the room; his identity hidden away by the ever-increasing smog.

"…Dipper?" Wendy squint her eyes, trying her best to see through the mist. She could hear the door close behind him. He held an enormous object in his hands. "Whatcha' got…there…"

Her voice faded seeing the shine in the reflective surface. The little hands came together and separated in a haunting rhythm. A sharp, metallic sound rang throughout the room:

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

The mist finally parted as the pint-sized arrival was revealed in full. _A tiny boy dressed in a blue blazer and short pants stood in front of the door. Runny, wrinkled knee socks were set into black, buckled shoes. His thinning dark hair was cut into a messy bowl style._

 _However, his face was that of a living ghoul. The skin, turned gray with hints of decay, hung loosely on the bony body. His nose had completely dissolved, leaving only an empty indent. Rotten, charcoal-like teeth were clenched together in an expression of utter rage. Soulless, blackened eyes stared at Wendy without remorse, the barely-noticeable white pupils never faltered away from its end goal._

 _But most frightening of all was what lied in the boy's hands. He rapidly opened and shut the sharpened edges of three-foot-long scissors blades with a sense of glee. The oversized garden sheers retracted and separated with every step towards Wendy._

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

"N-Now, hang on a minute…" The clerk held up her hands, trying to create as much space between them as humanly possible. "Let's talk – let's talk about this. You don't wanna – WHOA!"

Wendy's feet slipped out from beneath her. She landed in the red puddle with a quiet splash. "Oh, come on!"

Before she could react, the deranged child dove at her with blade points exposed. The agile lumberjane rolled to the left a moment before they hit the cold ground with a *CLANG!* The brief glimpse of the remains tied to the shower's head served as a silent reminder to Wendy to keep moving, or lest, share the same fate. She delivered a hard kick against the back of the boy's leg, bringing him down to his knees with a "GARH!"

With her attacker stunned, Wendy darted towards the door, only for her legs to become tangled in the flowing dress. Her usually perfect balance had given way due to her clunky shoes. She stumbled back into the ground, her exit only mere feet away.

As Wendy attempted to stand up, she was tackled from behind. She flipped over, as the deformed menace was attempting to pin her down. The huge blades were held high over his head, ready to pierce whatever lied below.

Wendy struggled and kicked wildly. "GET! OFF! ME!" Even though his stature was small, the much-bigger adolescent found it hard to throw the demonic child off her. His disturbing grin deepened as he moved in for the kill.

"Didn't…you…hear…me…?" Wendy strained as she flung her arm backwards for _anything_ ; something to use to pull herself to safety; something to use as a weapon against the monstrosity plaguing her. Her other arm was used as a shield to keep the scissor-wielding boy at bay. At last, her fingers came across something hard and solid. "I…said…OFF!"

*BLAM!*

She had clutched down on the fancy wooden toilet cover, and in a feat of Amazonian strength, ripped it from its bolts, and smashed it down on her assailant's head, shattering it into a thousand little pieces. The boy slumped backwards with a "GAH!" and curled into a ball. He never once let go of his deadly weapon.

Wendy instantly hopped to her feet and bolted out the door, making sure to close it behind her. Now back in the hallway, she leaned her wary body against the sturdy oak, holding a palm over her pounding chest. _"It feels like I'm about to have a heart attack. What the hell was that thing? Was it even human?"_ She took a relaxing breath. _"Well, at least he's down for the cou-"_

*RIP!*

Two steel blades launched from the other side of the door, narrowly missing Wendy's shoulder blade by inches. Her emerald eyes widened in absolute terror as the metal wiggled about, trying to free itself. She pushed off from the wooden surface and twirled around, watching the door bobble up and down as the torn gap grew bigger by the instance.

"Screw this! I'm outta here!" Wendy went to run down to the hallway, and tumbled over her own feet after a few steps. She crashed onto the carpeted floor, earning rug burn on both her elbows and knees.

"That tears it!" In a fit of rage, Wendy began to tear the bottom half of her blue dress completely off, allowing her to move her legs more freely. She kicked off the restrictive shoes, hurling them against the decorative wallpaper, and fled down the hallway into her nyloned feet. The remnants of the door cracked in the far distance.

After a few moments of searching the ever-spiraling passage, Wendy finally came something that stood out from the rest of the various entrances. A large, double door was left slightly ajar on her right. She reached out for the handle, receiving a shock in return.

"Ow!" Wendy stuck her finger in her mouth. _"Dammit! Don't tell me that the little bastard booby-trapped –_ " Her sights went downwards towards her socks rubbing against the fuzzy floor. _"Or it could have been just a static shock…"_

She pushed open the door with her shoulder. A huge smile spread across her face as Wendy had come across the mansion's foyer. The entire room was covered with a comforting shade of brick red wallpaper. The robey-drapes adorning the windows matched those found in the room where she awoke minutes before. A collection of portraits featuring several preppy-looking elders were hung throughout the vestibule. Glimmers of moonlight could be seen on the glassed chandeliers hanging overhead. Between them, a huge, glass-stained skylight had been fogged over by the unrelenting rain. The comfy red carpeting found in the hallway continued into this room, traveling down a set of curved stairways, and leading towards the entrance of the mansion.

 _"Horror Movie 101: the smartest thing to do when being chased by a murderous freak of nature is to make it down the stairs and out the front door!"_

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

Wendy looked behind her to see a menacing shadow on the wall moving ever so closer through the candle light. The massive points outstretched from its arms withdrew in anticipation. Without thinking, she shut the double doors and pulled a nearby piece of furniture, a simple table stand, close, jimmying it just under the handles. With a job well done, Wendy turned back around and hurried down the stairs as her feet gave out from under her. She took hold of the banister just in time to keep her balance.

 _"What the –_ " The confused cashier glanced down to see that the obstructive dress had been miraculously returned to its overly lengthy state. The same went with the bulky shoes Wendy had abandoned upstairs; they had been zapped back onto her feet.

She threw her head upwards and exclaimed to whatever forces of fate that taunted her endlessly: _"SERIOUSLY?!"_

*BOOM!* *BOOM!*

The propped up table against the door started to rattle. There wasn't any way to tell how much longer her barricade would last. After being forced to take the rest of stairs step-by-step, Wendy raced to the mansion's exit and took hold of the doorknobs, finding that it wouldn't open.

"What?! No! No! No!" She shook the doors repeatedly, making out a faint clatter coming from the other side. Furious, Wendy lobbed a fist against the mighty wood; the stinging in her hand compared nothing to the dread running through her mind.

 _"They've been chained - from the outside. Even if I had my lockpicks, I wouldn't be able to even – "_

Her eyes lit up as she found a long, upmarket lamp positioned next to a comfy recliner by the nearest window. Pulling it from its electrical socket, Wendy took the heavy structure and swung it into the glass.

*KRAK!*

It directly cracked in the dead center. With her determination growing, she struck it again, creating another part in the window.

*KRAK!*

 _But it still refused to shatter._

 _"Ohh…"_ Refusing to give up, Wendy dragged the lamp to the window on the other side of the entrance. She took a deep breath, gathered all of her strength, and delivered a devastating blow on the glass.

*KRAK!*

Wendy lowered her weapon, realizing that once more, she was not able to break her way through this newly-damaged window. _"Come on!"_ She chucked the lamp down in disgust, and anxiously held her pounding temples, holding back strands of her red hair. The girl had seen this scenario a million times before – especially when laughing at hapless damsels alongside Dipper during their B-Horror-movie marathons, and here she was now: trapped in an enigmatic manor in the middle of nowhere with a psychopath on her heels that wants to turn her into the world's tallest pin-cushion.

 _"Man, karma's really got it out for me today, don't it?"_

*CRASH!*

One of the chandeliers above Wendy had crashed to the ground, missing her head by an instant. Its sharp and broken contents flew across the floor. She froze in place, the shock of the crash clearing her troubled mind. The ginger started to back away from the mess when…

*CRASH!*

Another chandelier had plummeted to the earth behind her! Wendy jumped and accidentally let out a surprised yelp. Behind her, more sparkling glass covering the red carpet. With her surprise turning to aggravation, she looked to the ceiling. _"What in heaven's name is going – "_

*CRASH!*

A vast shadow dropped down from the huge skylight, creating a downfall of rain and shards of colorful glass. Wendy covered her face with her arms to shield herself from the collateral damage. She could make out a soaking form rising up from the ruins. The scissor-boy lifted his head and flashed his crooked smile. His trademark weapon still held tight against his chest.

 _"He…fell from a twenty-foot drop. And acts like it was nothing!"_

Her survival training took over. Wendy plucked the dented lamp from the ground, turned with her hips, and delivered a bone-breaking strike, sending the devilish pre-teen flying across the room. His limp body twitched with spasms, similar to that of a live-wire. And yet, he refused to let go of the scissors.

Wendy huffed in exhaustion as she dropped the broken lamp. Bent over with her hands on her knees, she struggled to catch her breath. Her eyes quickly moved to her fallen foe. He went on lying in the throes of unconsciousness. Her eyebrows heightened as she watched the boy's fingers tightly wrap across the handle of the scissors.

 _"NO…FRIGGIN'…WAY…"_

His blackened eyes shot open. The evil smile drew across the decaying face again. His bony legs struggled against the carpeting as he attempted to get back up.

The mere sight drained Wendy of whatever remaining energy she has. She had to fight to avoid slumping to her knees in defeat _. "But…But I hit him with everything I had! He can't be standing! He just can't!"_

Sure enough, the scissor-boy was back on his feet. His preferred weapons echoed loudly throughout the foyer as he hobbled towards his downtrodden goal. Wendy shook her head clear. She needed to stay strong. _Dipper needed her to stay strong._

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

With a renewed spirit, Wendy lurched towards the end of the room. She managed to retain her equilibrium by holding her dress upwards slightly with her right hand. The high-schooler groaned with infuriation, _"This is just like the first time with this gaming stuff, when I was trapped in that weird castle with the giant turtles…"_

Wendy pulled the nearest door open and raced through it. She found herself in another seemingly-endless corridor filled with numerous doors. Wall-to-wall seafoam green substituted the constant red of the second floor. The lighter-shaded planks loudly creaked with every footstep. However, her pursuer made his presence behind her well-known.

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

Figuring that all of the rooms would lead to dead-ends, Wendy continued on to the door on the opposite side of the hallway. She rushed pass, ending up in another foyer; an near-exact clone of the first, save that it was blanketed in her favorite shade of dark green, making her feel somewhat nostalgic for her usual lumberjack outfit.

On her left, Wendy found a light shade of plaster where the exit of the mansion would have been. She scoffed under her breath, "Figures…" A long staircase went back to the second floor, to where the young explorer guessed led back to the bedroom where she awoke originally. She ran across the atrium to another door at the end. Finding some resistance, Wendy tugged on its handle with both hands. "What – is – the – hold – up – here – BAH!"

The agile outdoorswoman hopped away at the upcoming danger at the last moment. A barrage of rocks, pebbles, and layers of dirt came tumbling out of the doorway, completely blocking any safe passage through.

" _A cave-in?!_ That doesn't make any sense – "

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

Wendy didn't have time to think things though. That thing was coming closer. She had to keep moving. The redhead came back towards the stairs leading back to the second floor. Placing a steady foot on the first step, Wendy had a feeling of hesitation overcome her. What she was about to do went against every lesson she had learned from watching cheesy B-movies.

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

 _She had no other choice._

Flying up and around the stairs, Wendy made it back to the second floor. She returned to the red-themed hallway and searched for a new escape when an unexpected sound was heard:

"HELP! HELP!"

Wendy grinded to a sudden stop. "Please tell me I didn't just hear that." She cocked her head, hoping that the call was merely just her imagination playing tricks on her. Once more, the cry came from behind the nearest room.

"HELP! HELP!"

Stressed, she bit down on her lip. Wendy knew that there was no chance that this random room could offer her any possible advantage, especially a means of escape. But she couldn't rid herself of the lingering feeling on the inside.

"Errggghhh…" With an annoyed moan, the troubled teen threw her arms downwards at her sides with clenched fists. Her conscience simply wouldn't allow her to leave without being certain.

" _Besides,"_ she thought. _"Heaven forbid if he's in there…"_

Wendy gently undid the door and silently closed it behind her, ensuring that no one would hear her make this detour. The sight before her made her stomach boil with a sense of nausea. The good-natured juvenile had walked into what appeared to be a weird trophy room. Wendy saw the cleaned and stuffed heads of an antelope, a boar, a tiger, and a moose attached to commemorative mounts on the purple-shaded wall.

Beneath them, there was an entire set of shelves containing various-sized jars filled with fermented animal organs saturated in a green solution. The simple light overhead came them a creepy glow. Wendy's green eyes briefly scanned through the collection, noting several brains, livers, lungs, bladders, and spleens. An enormous heart was set in the biggest container on the upper right of the first shelf.

Wendy shivered. She looked at the mounted animals and easily figured where the collection came from.

"HELP! HELP!"

She spun around to the far end of the room. The back half was blocked off with a black-stained white tarp. A metal, silver cabinet was placed against the wall, serving as a sort of separation barrier. Wendy took a hold of the plastic lining and peeled it back. Upon seeing what lied behind the drape, she turned her head and covered her mouth as her freckled cheeks puffed up. Wendy swallowed the overwhelming sickness growing within.

The other portion of the room consisted of a makeshift slaughterhouse. Dried-blackened gore stained a dual-table that wrapped around the kiddie-corner. An array of weaponry marked with the same substance hung above on rusty chains and hooks. A wicker hamper lined with a white garbage bag bled through the very bottom. Wendy didn't dare to look inside. A sampling of black feathers stuck out of the closed bin.

 _"Oh, man. Not even Dad would be so…cruel."_

Behind her, there was an odd series of knee-high cages that reminded Wendy of long lobster traps. Inside, an entire flock of black crows fluttered about, searching for an exit. In front of the cage door, a lone red and blue feathered parrot rested on the grated floor. Excited by the new visitor, it flapped its wings and squawked, "HELP! HELP!"

Somewhat annoyed, Wendy set a hand against her hip. "You gotta be kidding me." Re-examining the gory scene gave her a change of heart. The poor creatures were in the exact same predicament that she was: they were trapped in a strange, isolated new place and left at the mercy of a killer schoolboy.

 _"But what can I do?"_ She glanced towards the room's ceiling and discovered a small window that was left agape near the roof. Even if Wendy had a way to reach the exit, there was no way her slender figure would be able to squeeze though. Looking back at the birds, she gave off a beam of hope. "But to those of us that can fly…"

Without thinking twice, Wendy dropped to one knee and pulled on the latch holding the cage's door shut. As soon as she opened it, the cashier was tackled by a literal wave of black, as it screeched and cawed towards the opening and into the night sky.

"Yeah! You're welcome!"

Pressing her hands against the soiled floor, Wendy pushed herself back up as one last bird flew right into her chest. The parrot hovered in front of her, as it shouted to the top of its lungs. "HERE! HERE!"

"Hey!" Wendy raised her voice, trying her best not to yell, while swiping at the fowl with both hands. "Keep it down, will ya? You don't want that jerk finding us, do you?"

It fluttered out of her reach and yelled even louder: "HERE! HERE!"

"Just…" Wendy popped a hard-soled shoe off and hurled it towards the parrot. "JUST SHOO ALREADY!" It swerved out of the way, as the clog bounced off the wall, before flying through the window. The relieved youth let out a heave as she hopped about until she reclaimed her shoe. All of a sudden, the all-too-familiar sound entered her ears:

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

"Oh no…" Wendy sped back through the curtain and went to the door. As she went to grab the doorknob, she could hear the steel ricochet nearly on top of her.

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

Wendy stepped away from the door without saying a word nor taking a breath. Her vision blurred as she searched the room for another possible exit. A new distraction gave her pause.

*BA-DUM!* *BA-DUM!*

She whirled around towards the collection of organs. Wendy grabbed her gut as the churning sensation returned. All of the articles on the shelves had sprung to life. The brains and stomachs bulged as if they were inside of their respective bodies. The livers, bladders, and spleens boiled and bubbled in their selective juices. The set of lungs puffed up and deflated in a rhythmic fashion.

*BA-DUM!* *BA-DUM!*

Her immediate attention went to the enlarged heart on the upper shelf. Its valves pumped and skipped to its own beat like that of a steady drum. It was imagery straight out of a nightmare.

 _"…the hell?"_

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

The door handle start to turn…

"I gotta…I gotta…" She spotted the rather-tall cabinet before the curtaining. Left without any other choice, Wendy darted to it opened the steel door without making a sound, and upon stepping inside, slid it shut. She stood on top of a pile of old, wrinkled clothing. Limited light came through the thin, curved lines and allowed her to see a brief glimpse of the world outside.

*BLAM!*

The anxious teenager could hear the room's door being thrown open as it smacked against the adjacent wall. *SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!* The sound blared around the room as the miniscule predator searched for his lanky prey. Wendy could see glimpses of the blue schoolboy outfit as he paused right outside of the locker. She held her breath and pushed against the back of the closet. Every second felt like an hour in passing. After what seemed like an eternity, the scissor-welding child stepped away from Wendy's hideaway, unaware of who lied inside. *SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!* The noise traveled across the room, growing farther away.

As Wendy released her held breath, she felt something brushed against her nyloned ankle. She peeked downward to see a thinly-shaped mummified corpse staring up at her with empty black sockets. Straw-like dead brown hair draped across its mud-colored, dried-up skinless face. A torn, red dress was held onto its skeletal body with a black waistband. Its mouth was forever locked into a twisted leer as it tightened its grip on Wendy's foot. Red lights formed where its eyes should have been. A near-silent growl whistled through its broken teeth.

"HOLY – "

In pure reflex, the horrified clerk threw herself back through the closet's doors. After reaching a safe distance, she turned around, ready to face this newest threat, to find that she wasn't being chased. There was nothing inside of the closet but a pile of torn clothing and rags. There weren't any living corpses to be found.

 _"What?! But – But it was right there! I know it was! It grabbed my leg, for the love of – "_

*SHUNK!*

Her fright had left Wendy completely blindsided. Before she knew it, a bright flash charged at her. The blades of the giant scissors were now placed between her slender neck, pinning her against the wall. Wendy held her head upwards, as she could feel the razor edges dig into her skin. On the other end, the ghastly boy held his weapon steadfast, giving off a grim, but short snicker.

Beads of sweat rolled down Wendy's forehead as the blades started to retract. She could feel the torn wallpaper and drywall fall past her shoulders. She tried to hoist the scissors upwards, being careful not to cut her fingertips.

*CAW! CAW!*

Wendy could barely see the black blur from her trapped setting. It swarmed around the child, before dividing into different flanks, forcing him to release his grip on the scissors. He batted around his arms and shoulders, trying to shoo the menace away.

 _"It's…the crows! The ones I freed before…"_

The mass pecked and scratched at their former captor, until at long last, he had enough. The boy covered his head and rushed out of the room, leaving his weapon still embedded in the wall. The murder followed him down the hall until Wendy could no longer hear either.

Exhausted, she slumped though the blades and onto the ground. In an effort to gather her spirits, Wendy took deep breath after deep breath, letting the current events soak in, until she was finally able to spit out two words.

 _"…thank you…"_

Wendy rose up, making sure not to nick herself of the sharpened scissors. She debated taking them with her, but quickly decided against it. _"I can barely walk around as I am now, yet alone have to drag those damn things around with me. Chances are I'd trip or something, and end up lobbing my own head off! Besides, I'm not sure if that thing can be killed."_

She poked her head out the door, making sure that the coast was clear. The hallway was deathly silent. The flickers of the candles provided some comforted as Wendy continued on all alone in the dark. Wendy shuffled past the double doors that she had barricaded, seeing all of the tears and damage that her waist-high nemesis had done to it. She noticed an open room at the end of the hallway. As it appeared to be completely empty, Wendy went into the new area and closed the door behind her

She had found what were the ruins of a child's bedroom. Ripped posters and broken framed pictures decorated the decayed royal blue wallpaper. A chipped and cracked wooden dresser had its drawers pulled off their railings, and its contents emptied all over the azure carpet. A nearby toy box had been tipped over and its contents spilled under a twin-sized bed. There was no bedding to be found; only a bare mattress with springs sticking outwards at random spots. Scraps of ropes were attached to the headboard and footboard, making Wendy question if someone or something had been restrained there.

Several toys and dolls were strung down from the ceiling, aligned around the room's structure like a weird mobile of sorts. The only item in the room that hadn't been damaged or altered in some fashion was a dusty mirror that had built into a shattered armoire. Wendy ducked down and stared into her own reflection. Her lengthy red hair was now a frizzled mess. Bags from stress were forming under her eyes, not so unlike her missing cohort. The accused schoolgirl outfit had become wrinkled and smeared with dirt.

"Oh, what…" She frowned, spotting a reddened nick on each side of her neck, exactly where the deadly blades were held only moments before. Luckily, the cuts did not travel deep. Wendy's eyes focused back onto the mirror as she saw something lurking about on the other side of the glass.

Her reflection froze in place, no longer following along with her own movements. Its face twisted into that of an angry snarl. Her mirror double roared and lunged at Wendy, its hands moving through the glassed barrier and aimed towards her neck.

"Ugh!" With instincts taking over, Wendy bounced back, just out of range of the attack. " _That's…impossible!"_ She wiped her eyes with her fists to clear her vision, hoping that she was seeing things. Wendy lowered her hands, seeing that the ghastly imagery had vanished from sight.

Instead, a new haunting form had replaced it, making Wendy gasp in surprise. _A sinister-looking doll sat on a cushy chair behind her next to the exit. It wore that of a purple jester outfit, from the three-parted, huge hat with bells attached, to the white-button-down jumpsuit, leading down to its curled white slippers. Its head was lowered downwards, almost like it had fallen asleep keeping guard._

Wendy's heart calmed and her breathing went back to normal, until the doll awoke from its slumber and raised its head in her direction. She turned around on her heels to confirm what she had seen in the mirror, watching in horror as the jester slumped down from its seat, rising back to a standing position. It walked with baby steps towards the astonished girl, proudly showing off its threatening grin. The doll lowered its right arm towards the ground, as something slid out from the puffy-white sleeve, catching the unknown item in the palm of its gloved hand.

 _"Heh-heh-heh-heh…"_

The clown gleefully tossed a small, yet dull dagger between its two hands in an insane sort of juggle. It resumed its slow march towards Wendy, as it muttered another low-key laugh:

 _"Heh-heh-heh-heh…"_

Wendy could hear more laughter and merriment coming from the ceiling. All of the other toys dangling from the ceiling were squirming and wiggling in their confines, each cheering on their comrade as it approached the much-bigger intruder who dared to enter their territory.

 _"This can't be real, right?"_ She backed away towards the wall. _"I mean, the kid with the scissors is one_ _thing, but living dolls? Then again, it's not like I haven't seen anything like this back home…"_

Wendy tried to step around the knee-high menace, finding that it was able to match her every move. To make matters worse, the footwear forced upon her greatly hindered her usual swiftness.

 _"This guy's way faster than the scissor-boy. Even if I were to make it to the door, he'd probably knife me in the back before I'd get it open …"_ Just then, her shoulders hit the wall. She could feel a cool breeze past through the thin uniform. Wendy looked back to see that she was up against the window. Just below her, she saw the mansion's massive in-ground pool. Its icy waters overlapped into the surrounding concrete. A desperate plan started to form in her mind.

 _"Unless…"_

Wendy turned to the alternative. The doll was halfway across the room as it threw the daggers back into its right hands. The cheers and cries of its toy companions grew even louder. With no doubts left, she threw open the window and stepped into the tiny ledge. Her shoes made it difficult to keep balance. She took a deep breath and leap from the windowsill, yelling out as she fell back to earth:

"GEROMINO!"

*SPLASH!*

She smacked the water feet first. Wendy's super-thin body became frozen in the pool's rigid waters. The light clothing offered no protection against the cold. The clogs strapped onto her weighed her ankles down, making it harder to kick to the surface. Wendy's breath slowed due to the frost. It felt as all energy was being slowly drained from her. It was hard to keep her eyes open…

"NO!"

With a burst of strength, Wendy launched herself upwards. Exploding through the surface, the ginger pulled her head and inhaled a gulp of fresh air. She kicked and dog-paddled through the cloudiness until she found solid ground, clawing her way up the side of the pool. Left weary, her matted copper hair blanketed her soaked, keeled-over body as she panted heavily.

Wendy looked around as she gathered her strength. The heavy rain that finally stopped, leaving the surrounding cement and neatly cut grass sodden. The small enclosure had all access to the outside world blocked by the looming mansion. As Wendy has guessed, the nearest entrance to the mansion had been sealed off with chains and locks, preventing them from being opened from either side.

A wooden shack stood to her right. Wendy noticed a wooden bar set next to the thick door, leaving its attached metal holdings bare.

 _"Huh."_ She stood up and tried to twist her dress dry with her hands. _"If they're locking this place down, there has to be a good reason why."_

*SQUISH! SQUISH! SQUISH!*

Wendy's shoes squished with every step as she cursed under her breath. There wasn't a more uncomfortable feeling than walking around in wet socks. Using both hands, the heroine pulled the door's handle back, leaving a big enough gap from her to slide through.

 _"I – I can't believe it!"_

Piles of dirty-yellow hay had been aligned alongside sides of the simple greyed paneled walls of the shed. A worn-out wooden ladder led upwards to a loft just beneath the roof. In contrast to the ground floor, countless neatly wrapped bales had been aligned in a straight row.

But Wendy's full attention locked on to what awaited her at the end of the shelter. A brownish-gray Packard was parked in front of a retractable steel door. She stared at the discovery with starry, hopeful eyes.

 _"It's not a shack; it's a garage! Finally! A way out of this cuckoo's nest!"_

Wendy hurried to the car and found the front door unlocked. She plopped down in the seat, turning it sopping wet. The experienced carjacker tore away at the ignition with her bare hands and crossed the necessary wires to get the vehicle going.

 _"C'mon, baby…"_ The nerve-wrecked survivor watched as the exposed tips barely gave off a spark. _"Work for Wen-Wen. Please…"_

*DING!*

A neon-blue glow came from the lights on the dashboard. Wendy let out a laugh of relief as she shifted gears into drive. Her sights faced the garage door without worry. _"Screw it. I'll run right through the damn thing."_

All she could think of was being free of that horrid place, being far away from the child-like killer relentlessly chasing her all about, and being closer to finding out where Dipper had been taken.

With her determination rising, Wendy slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, hearing nothing but a squeaky sound in return.

 _"Wha – "_

She repeatedly pumped the gas again and again. The roar of the engine wasn't anywhere to be heard.

"What the – " Wendy grew angrier as she continued to weigh down on the pedal. "What in the f –"

Her voice faded away as a new radiant message appeared on the dashboard. Stricken silent, Wendy could only stare at the warning, wishing that it would disappear from sight at any given moment. A few seconds later, the heartbroken clerk rested her head against the wheel and whispered in defeat, "Oh, man," as the blue text flashed into her covered face: ENGINE FAILURE – PLEASE SERVICE.

*SNIP!*

The teen raised her head and glanced into the rearview mirror, seeing some kind of strange shining spark. Wendy turned around in time to see a silver streak coming straight at her.

"Aw, shi – "

*KRA – UNCH!*

Wendy dropped down on the floor as the razor-sharp edges ripped through the Packard's top. She covered her head as debris and broken glass flew all over the place. Her ears were pierced with the sound of twisting metal. Once the noise faded away, she peeped up to see the scissor-boy standing over her. His blades were held over his deformed head without effort. The top of the car had been tossed to the side next to a set of gardening tools attached on the wall.

 _The boy had turned the Packard into a convertible._

Left cornered, Wendy sprang into action. She kicked the car door open, flinging it against her enemy. "Get back, you little freak!" It slammed into his hip, forcing him to lower his colossal tool. With the monster stunned, the lumberjane crawled back into the passenger's seat, and flipped over and out of the car. She pushed the hair away from her eyes, watching as the scissor-boy climbed through the ruined automobile after her.

Wendy climbed the ladder to the hay loft, guessing that taking the high road would be to her advantage. Once atop the platform, she bent down and pulled the ladder onto the second floor, ensuring that her chaser could not follow. As he reached the front of the loft and discovered that the ladder was missing, the atrocious lad paced back and forth, snipping his scissors angrily, like he didn't know where to go from there.

"HA!" Wendy couldn't help but to brag. "Not so smart now, are you, ug-mo?" She stopped as the boy disappeared under the loft, well out of her sight. "Wait. Where'd he go now – "

*THUNK!*

Suddenly, something burst through the wooden flooring, nearly striking Wendy in the cheek. The glimmer of the scissors' tips shone in her eye before it retracted back into the newly-created hole.

"AAH!"

*THUNK!*

Wendy fell backwards as the blades struck the bottom of the loft again. This time, it passed between her legs, tearing a hole through her dress's edge. In spite of her growing panic, Wendy bit her cheeks and held her breath. She had to make it harder for the foe to guess her position.

*THUNK!*

With another shot to the loft, Wendy was back on her feet. The sharpened blow struck nothing but empty air.

*THUNK!*

The blades grazed Wendy's right foot, striking before her big toe. She inadvertently jumped up in reflex, giving herself away. _"Ah, dammit! I really – "_

*THUNK!*

 _"…have to learn –_ " The scissors launched up from the left, brushing up against her arch. Wendy slid her foot away from the danger, trying her best not to lift her feet from the floor or to apply her full weight downwards; any given step could lead to her potential demise.

*THUNK!*

" _…to watch my big mouth!_ " Wendy thought as another hole was punctured to the far right of her location. " _This is all kinds of messed-up. It feels like I'm trapped in a game of "Whack-A-Mole." How can I get outta this without becoming a piece of Swiss cheese?_ " She searched around for the answer, finding herself all alone, save for the rows of hay bales across from her.

"Hmm…" Wendy skipped forward to gain momentum and dove onto the wrapped bundle. Now safe on the prickly surface, she quietly sat cross-legged and observed as the scissor-tips poked and prodded the floor in search of her. After a few failed attempts, they finally ceased. Wendy sat upwards to see the boy march out of the garage with splinter-covered weapon in hand and shut the door behind him. She could hear something clattering outside before fading away into dead silence.

"Phew!" The much-relieved high-schooler wiped the sweat from her brow. She double-checked her right shoe, finding that the tip was only scratched by the shears. Thankfully, all her digits were well accounted for. _"Glad he's gone, but why? And what was that noise?"_ Wendy remembered the barred setup on the garage door. _"What if he locked me in here? Eh, what does it matter? The important thing is I'm up here, and he's out there. Besides, it's not like I can use a minute to regroup…"_

As the sapped young adult took a spare moment to rest, she failed to see an unusual amount of sawdust raining down from the ceiling behind her. A quiet sprinkle became a barely-audible-buzzing downpour until finally….

*CRASH!*

Wendy rose to her feet and spun around in surprise as a twisted shadow hit the loft's floor. She could make out the shape of the scissors even through the self-contained dust storm. As it swiftly passed, the boy's intimidating smile came next. Wendy went to distance herself from the danger, almost having her legs swept out from underneath.

Upon regaining her balance, the startled adolescent spotted the ladder at the tips of her toes. She snatched it up in one fell swoop, holding it against her chest. Wendy beaded her eyes at her assailant, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Their stand-off felt everlasting. Abruptly, the careful stances were broken as the boy stepped forward, the large clippers pulled back before being thrusted forward into a stabbing motion.

*SMACK*

She used the ladder like a makeshift pugil stick, slamming its edge against the scissor-boy's shoulder. The blow sent him over the side of the loft and into the backseat of the destroyed car with a *THUD!* With her path cleared, Wendy began to plan her escape. _"I gotta move while that creep-o-zoid is down for the count. The door's probably still barred, and getting me back to ground level is exactly what he wants, so that's out. So, what other way is there?"_

Just then, a damp breeze caressed Wendy's upper body. She turned to see a small window leading back to the courtyard. The sky was still covered in a thick overcast, preventing any sort of moonlight from entering the scene.

 _"Huh. That'll do nicely…"_

*KRAK*

She threw the ladder's metal-tipped ending threw the paneled glass. Thankfully, it gave out, its shards falling to the grassy surface below. Wendy balanced the ladder across the window's railing, adjusting it several times before she was content with the placement. The plucky teen dragged the nearest hay bale towards the lowest end of the ladder. Digging her fingernails into the hay, Wendy lifted and pushed it onto the metal frame, anchoring it firmly.

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

She didn't even bother to double-check her handiwork. That sound meant time was running around. Taking a firm hold on the ladder, Wendy carefully scaled the tilted ladder until she was dangling outside of the garage. She searched the scene, finding that there was no safe haven to land or jump to. The pool she had used before was too far beyond her reach.

*C-C-CREAK!*

Wendy held on even tighter. She could feel the ladder's balance beginning to shift. If she moved the wrong way, it would fall from the windowsill and crash onto the hard ground – bringing her along for the ride!

Left with no other choice, Wendy pulled herself back and started to stand straight up. The garage's roof was mere inches away. The ladder rattled violently under her feet. With a large bound, the nimble female fled the balance beam and clasped into the roof, pulling herself up to safety. She could hear the metal support smack the cement beneath her.

"Easy, easy…" Wendy stumbled to stand on the loose, curved shingles. She fought to control her shaking knees. "And…there…we…go…" Now, standing upright, the experienced huntress checked out her surroundings. The courtyard and pool area appeared to be scissor-free – at least from her vintage point.

 _"Even if it's true, there's no reason to go back down there. All of the exits down there are still locked off."_ Wendy set her sights higher, as a shadow casts down over here from the next wing of the mansion. She cocked her head, and strode side-to-side, judging the distances and angles in her head before coming to a complete stop.

 _"Yeah, I can do that…"_

Wendy cleaned her palms by wiping them together. She grinded the bottoms of her shoes against the rooftop to smooth them out as much as possible. Taking a deep breath, Wendy dashed towards the end of the roof before launching off of the ball of her right foot.

"W-W-W-HOOOAAAA!"

*THUD!*

Her lanky body collided against the solid brick wall. Wendy started to slide downwards as she cupped her hands and dug her fingernails down. Her hands took hold of a cement ledge. Her arms felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets. Nevertheless, Wendy ascended from sill to windowsill until she arrived at a metal railing.

Wendy pulled herself over the bars and rested her sore body against it. The wet ground gave her some cold comfort. Her fingertips and toes had been painfully jammed and stubbed during the climb. She was now sitting in a purple-bricked outside attachment, complete with well-established archways and columns. The double doors leading back into the manor had been messily shut off with old splintered planks and rusty, crooked nails.

 _"Well, there goes that idea…"_

On the left, Wendy noticed a black steel ladder that went up several yards into the air. It opened into another fixed railing, leading into the ominous-looking clock tower that served as the centerpiece of the accursed grounds.

 _"Well…"_ Wendy rose up and forced the willies back down. _"Guess there's nowhere else to go but up…"_

She took hold of the ladder's bars and placed a foot on the first rung. Wendy slowly made her way upwards, the tremendous height being the very least of her worries. Instead, she hoped that her grip would remain strong despite having slick hands and feet.

*KRAK!*

Wendy looked behind her shoulder to see the dark clouds blanketing the sky were growing ever-so-thicker. She tried to hurry towards her new goal, all the while chanting. _"Please no lightning. Please no lightning. Please no lightning."_

Finally making it to the top, Wendy rushed inside of the clock tower. A simple, wood-crafted walkway bridged across a network of connecting, pushing pistons, twisting chains, and turning gears. A copper bell was suspended in the center. An opened control box filled with levers was set near the dilapidated hand-railing. On the opposite end, Wendy saw the mechanical side of the huge clock face. A gentle ticking could be heard from every part of the tower. A little opening was just above the number six.

Curious, Wendy walked to the hole. "Maybe I can get a better lay of the land from up here; find a landmark or something…" She stuck her neck out of the opening, seeing that the minute-hand of the clock tower was about to strike down on her head.

"BAH!" The redhead moved back at the last second as the gigantic bar covered the narrow opening. Still in shock, she patted her head and the area around her collar to ensure she made it out unscathed. _"That…was really messed up…"_

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

Wendy held her ground. _"How did he - !"_ She searched high and low for any sign of the unhinged slasher. _"There's no – how could he even beat me up here?!"_

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

She followed the clatter to the crown of the clock tower. The scissor-boy made his way down from the top rafters, dropping down from girder to joist and so on towards her location.

 _"Nuts to this!"_ Wendy fled from the face of the clock back to the main walkway. Without warning, a random, loose chain fell from the machinery above her. It glided besides her like a slithering snake as she ran across the timber boardwalk until Wendy had tripped over it. Landing on one knee, she tried to stand back up, as something jerked her to a halt.

 _"Wha – What gives?"_

Wendy turned back to see that the chain had somehow coiled itself around her right ankle. Making it back to one foot, she yanked and tugged on her stuck leg, trying to slip out from its grasp. The links seemed to tighten with every escape attempt. The other end of the chain was latched to something in the dark well past the walkway.

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

The scissor-boy was now halfway down, giving off a devious smirk. It was like he was enjoying his impending victim squirm in her unfortunate dilemma.

" _Okay, Wendy-girl,"_ she tried to calm herself. " _You have to stay frosty…_ " She relaxed her trapped foot and knelt down to examine her plight. _"I bet it's just tangled. All you need to do is – "_ Wendy trailed off upon seeing that the chain had been perfectly knotted around her dainty ankle. She attempted to slide the loop down and over her foot, finding that it wouldn't go past her heel. Her fingers could barely fit between the iron links and her nyloned skin.

 _"This doesn't make sense…"_ Wendy double and triple-checked the trap, looking for any possible way to remove it from her ankle. _"There's gotta – there's gotta be a way out!"_ With her anxiety growing with every passing second, the unnerved girl leapt back to her feet and launched herself outwards in every possible direction, only to be ankle-tackled back to the ground each time. "LET GO! LET ME GO!"

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

The pint-sized killer fell down to the next level. The scene seemed to play out in slow motion, like something out of a bad dream.

Wendy's breath grew harder, eventually turning into rapid pants. This wasn't the first time she was caught like this; such territory came about being the daughter of a well-known outdoorsman. Wendy couldn't count on her fingers and toes all of the times she had fallen into one of her father's traps. But this time was different. Her cleverness wasn't providing a way out of this ankle snare nor was Wendy allowed to wait for a rescue as had often happened in the past.

If anything, her next action would not only decide her fate, but that of her loved one as well. In her mind, _she wasn't allowed to fail._

With her entrapped shin becoming sore, Wendy looked ahead to see the opened control panel. A last-ditch effort formed in her head. She pounced towards the box as the chain around her foot became taut once more. Not willing to give up, Wendy bounced forward on one leg as the other was hoisted back in mid-air. She reached with her right hand towards the closest lever and took hold, pulling it out and downward.

Nothing happened.

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

Only one last switch remained. Wendy stretched towards it, having her fingertips barely touch its shiny black knob.

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

 _"C'mon, dammit! C'mon!"_ She hopped even closer and groaned, feeling her knee stretched beyond its limits. Wendy closed her eyes, tightened her face, and swiped at the controller. Her standing-foot slipped and Wendy came crashing down, dragging the switch down along with her.

*BONG! * *BONG!*

The bell of the clock tower let out a succession of ear-splitting bongs. Wendy covered the sides of her head as it felt like her brain was going to start leaking out of her ears.

*BONG! * *BONG!*

In her blurred vision, she could see the scissor-boy faltering about on the platforms above her. The sonic booms made him wobble and teeter blindly until he fell off his pedestal. The hazard plummeted past the walkway and into the darkness below, well out of Wendy's point of view.

*BONG!* *BONG!*

 _"Hmph! Good riddance! Wait…"_

Unexpectedly, the pinching sensation had ceased against Wendy's foot. She sat up, finding that the chain had released its death-grip on her ankle. Wendy immediately pulled the now-loosen links off her. It then skimmed across the walkway and back into the abyss from whence it came.

 _"I – I don't get it"_ She thought, wiping the patches of sawdust off her body. _"As soon as that jerkface left the scene, the chain just…untied itself?"_ Wendy imagined how Dipper would have processed the situation. _"All of the creepy junk happening without explanation – the still-functioning animal parts, the hands in the mirror, the dolls, that weird chain with a mind of its own – is that kid controlling it all somehow?"_

*DING!*

A new noise came from the end of the walkway. An elevator door opened, revealing a gorgeous white light within. Wendy smiled, the only time she had throughout this mad chase had begun. She had become accustomed to what this meant: her time in this demented place had ended. _Her nightmare was now over._

With a new, excited burst of energy, Wendy jogged to the exit, and yet, couldn't shake the feeling of disbelief. As she went on, the floor loudly creaked under Wendy's feet.

 _"Why doesn't that sound – "_

*SSSSSNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAPPPPP!*

"AAAAHHHHH!"

The portion of walkway collapsed out from underneath Wendy. She grabbed into the torn limbers during her free fall, her palms becoming cut and torn-up by their sharp splinters.

"Ugh!"

Wendy pulled herself to a stop. Her neck and upper-back felt like they had experienced whiplash. She grinded her teeth and pushed the pain down, taking a hold of the nearest 2 x 4. Wendy carefully began to pull herself upwards until the prank broke into two pieces. She dangled from the remaining support from one hand, her other shoulder had gone numb from the overly swing.

Even from her current location, Wendy could still see the glow from the elevator, beckoning her to leave this terrible place forever. How could she be so close and still so far away?

*SNIP!* *SNIP!* *SNIP!*

 _"No…"_

Using what mobility she had left, Wendy curved back towards the clock tower. "It can't be! You're dead! I watched you die!"

To her horror, the scissor-boy stood at the foot of the ruined walkway, alive and well. He brandished his three-foot weapon with pride, showing her that he was anything but a mere delusion. Strangely enough, the lad lowered the shears, welding them with only one hand.

" _What is he doing? Why did he – "_ Wendy's eyes grew large as she realized what was about to happen. "Wait! Stop! Don't do it! You'll kill us both!"

Dragging the scissors against the floor, he soared from the cliff with his left hand wide open. Upon passing by Wendy, the demonic spawn snagged the trim of her lengthy dress, putting a greater strain on her. She tried to kick the dead weight off, but the scissor-boy was able to dodge the slower-paced, clog-weighted-down blows. Her fingers became more unclenched with each second.

 _"Damn…dress! Knew you'd be…the end of…me!"_

Wendy couldn't take it anymore; she let go of the wooden beam. As both predator and prey fell, Wendy's screams rang throughout the everlasting darkness.

* * *

"DAH!"

Wendy lurched forward into a sitting state. _"I'm…alive? But how?"_ Dazed, she moved her hands down her body, ensuring that there were no lasting injuries. Only a few scratches and bruises were found. Fortunately, the scissor-boy was nowhere to be found. She could find no source of their impact on the earth or any tracks leading away from the site.

 _"Where am I now?"_

She had awakened in a dark catacomb well beneath the surface. Moisture dripped down from hanging stalagmites into puddles, creating an odd, collective melody of sorts. White-waxed castles set into golden holders implanted in the cave's walls gave off the only source of light.

 _"Nom-nom-nom-nom…"_

The unusual gnawing made Wendy spin around. She found herself in front of a tiny steel cage suspended from the ceiling via a rusty support. Its door had been padlocked shut. Inside of the cramped cage, Wendy could make out a small figure dressed in tattered clothing and a baseball cap. With its back was to her, it endlessly shivered in fear.

Wendy raised an eyebrow and peered inside, "Dipper? Is it really you?"

The mysterious figure roared and rushed to the front of the cage in an instant. Wendy let out a cry as she jumped out of the blur's range, watching it try to scratch and claw her with outreached arms.

"Oh…jeez…"

The prisoner was that of a pre-teen boy turned feral. His blonde hair was dirty and clumped together in a sticky mess. His face and mouth were covered with a reddish-brown smear. His long-nailed hands were stained with clumps of raw meat of the same color.

But the most haunting detail was that of his hollow blue eyes. The unfortunate soul didn't as much as blink as he continued to reach out for Wendy mindlessly.

"Yummy…" He drooled excitedly through an unhinged jaw. "Yummy face…"

Wendy couldn't help but feel sorry for the dangerous savage. " _At least…at least, it wasn't Dipper. But, he's "somebody's Dipper," right?_ " She rubbed the side of her flushed, freckled cheek. " _Let's just hope he's just part of the game, and not from the real world like us_."

The caged animal went on snarling and sneering as Wendy forced herself to walk away from the heartbreaking scene. " _I feel bad about leaving 'im behind; I really do. But then again, I really would like to keep my face…_ "

Venturing further into the cavern, Wendy followed the series of lights acting as a guide. A strong, unpleasant stench invaded her nose, prompting her to pinch it shut. "What stinks?" she asked through a nasally voice. "It smells just like Stan's old jalopy!"

Wendy traced the scent to a set of aged barrels neatly stacked in front of a sharp precipice. Each cask was stamped with a bright red label:

"Kerosene. That explains that, I guess." An unseen puncture allowed the ooze to drip down into the gooey mixture of mud, dirt, and water below the cliffside. The candles revealed a thin footpath to the left, leading to the other end of the crag. Wendy could see a brighter light in the distance.

She pressed her body against the cave's wall and shimmed across the narrow passage, carefully sliding foot by foot. The unusually slow moments tested Wendy's patience, but she didn't want to risk falling into the slime below.

Once safely over, Wendy found an ornamental setup of candles decorated about what appeared to be a gargantuan bed. Plaster columns served as its posts. The same type of thick red velvet that was seen over the windows upstairs made up a huge set of curtain covering the front of the bed. As Wendy stepped up to the peculiar shrine, she could make out heavy, tense breaths close-by.

 _"What's the deal with this? It's like a weird altar of sorts."_ She opened the curtain, _"And what in heaven's name is making that…"_

Wendy's entire body froze up with absolute fear. Her jaw was left wide open as the words were caught in her throat. Her bright-green eyes couldn't remove themselves from the travesty before her. She helplessly trembled and quaked, unable to break free from the spell cast over her.

 _"…t-t-that – t-t-that – t-t-that – t-t-that…"_

 _A horrific, ten-foot humanoid creature laid face down on the fractured remains of a bed. Disgusting purple flesh covered its naked, pudgy body. Repulsive black veins and whitish boils budged and throbbed on end. A clump of puffy tumors had covered the entirely of its bald head. Its blood-red eyes were focused on the pool of slop placed at the edge of its mattress. Fat, formless hands hastily shoveled chunks of meat into its gaping mouth without as much as taking a breath between gulps. The missed portions were left wedged between its drooping cheeks._

And to top things off, the unharmed scissor-boy stood on the behemoth's back-flab, yelling down to it with a flash of speedy gibberish.

*KRA – UNCH!*

Wendy tried to back away from the dreadful display, as the floor cracked under her shoes. A pile of broken skeletons were discarded by the side of the bed. _Human skeletons_. The remnants of their clothing told Wendy all she needed to know.

 _"They're all wearing school uniforms – like mine! I – I get it now! The scissor-guy feeds the fat one! But what if – "_

She lowered her sights back to the carcasses, praying that she didn't see a blue pine-tree cap, or navy-blue vest, or gray short pants anywhere. " _I can't - I have to be sure!_ "

"GAAAARRRR!"

Wendy rocked back on her heels, not daring to move a muscle. The creature stretched its neck-chin in her direction and bellowed, shaking the world all around it.

"GAAAARRRR!"

"O-Okay, then…" The petrified teenager bid her farewell. "I see you two are super-busy, so I'm just going to vamoose. Just – don't mind me…"

With uncanny speed, Wendy shut the curtain behind her and ran down the path she came. A large crash came from behind. The purple glutton had knocked down its shelter and crawled after her on its malformed arms. Its scissor-carrying companion danced happily on top of the back, snapping his scissors among to his own rhythm.

" _That thing's mobile?!_ " Wendy glanced over her shoulder. "You have to be jok-k-k-ing!"

She accidentally slipped off the path and down the muddy incline straight into the mucky mess with a *SPLASH!*

"Argh!" Wendy pushed herself up off her knees and out of the sludge, her clothing drenched with the awful-smelling blend. "How…" She flapped her arms to fling off the excess mud. "…can this get any worse?"

"BAAAAAAAGH!"

The deadly duo appeared at the top of the hill. The hefty leviathan threw itself down the slope, landing in the gunk besides Wendy. Before it could regain its composure, she waded back through the slime, mumbling with nervousness: _"…mouth…need…to…watch…mouth…"_

" _Damn! Ugh! Damn it!_ " The heavy dress shoes kept getting bogged down in the mud, until Wendy finally abandoned them. She continued to pump her legs through. The mild awkwardness was pushed aside by the need to stay out of that thing's reach, never daring once to look back at the splashing growing closer and closer.

 _"It's…gaining? How can that be? It's using its hands for Pete's sake!"_

After striding back through the murky pond, Wendy faced the original fuel-slope leading back to the cave's entrance. She hopped into the mud for stability, making it further with each step.

 _"Almost…there…I can see those dumb barrels…"_

The ground fell out from underneath. Her nyloned soles had become too slippery. Wendy toppled to her knees and began to slide back down the ramp. The beast awaited her at the bottom with arms wide open.

"AAH! NO! NO! NO! NO!"

Wendy dug her hands deep into the dirt, bringing her to a stop about halfway down the rise. Her fingers felt like they were going to break off at any moment. Pure adrenaline took over. Inch by inch, Wendy scrambled back up the ledge; her entire front caked in the slimy mud. Until at long last, she could make out a small rope, belonging to one of the kerosene casks within striking distance. With a grunt, Wendy seized the cord and used it to heave herself back onto solid land.

*HUFF PUFF!* *HUFF PUFF!*

As she collapsed just past the barrels, the ongoing force finally made the stack topple over and down into the bank. They rolled and bounced until they reached the purple blob and its personal assassin…

*KA-BOOOOOOM!"

The containers exploded almost-simultaneously, turning the mud bank into a literal river of fire. The embers sparkled in Wendy's emerald eyes as the massive form became fully engulfed by the flames, being reduced into ashes in seconds.

She sat back onto her side and glared at the fiery scene for several minutes, ensuring that not a single soul would rise up from such a blast. Wendy had no intention of ending up like the damsels of her favorite B-movies; _this final girl was leaving nothing to chance._

*DING!*

 _"Huh?"_

A hidden elevator door appeared in the cave wall to her right. Once again, the warming glow welcomed the weary lumberjack princess into its sanctuary. Using the ground, Wendy made it clumsily back to a stance and wobbled towards the new exit.

*SNIP!*

Wendy paused and instantly faced the fire river with fists raised, her breath steady and never rising. She had lost track of time during her stare-down. Nothing else remained but her and the constant flames.

" _That's what I thought…"_ She relaxed her guard and went into the elevator, where the portal's bright light soothed her wrecked body. Wendy had been tried both physically and mentally, but at the end of it all, _she was still alive._

 _"Well, that sucked hard, but things can only get better from here on out…"_

 _"…right?!"_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey, all. Again, apologies for lateness must be made, but the point remains: no matter how long it takes, if people keep reading this story, I'll keep writing it until the very end. Thanks and enjoy!_

* * *

 _"Except for you and me, love, everyone's the same. (We know, we know, we know, we know)  
But if to live, we have to be numb, I'd rather know the pain. (I'd rather know, I'd rather know)  
This happens almost never, but it happened once to me.  
And this will never be the same. The ends we seam together.  
_ _I'm not after fame and fortune. I'm after you.  
When I've served my time, I swear I will come back for you. (Watch them fall!)"_

"From Heads Unworthy," by Rise Against.

 **Chapter 5 – The Gauntlet.**

 _"HA! IS THIS HOW IT ENDS FOR YOU?! THE EVER-CONQUERING HERO ENDS UP LIKE A LITTLE TWEETY BIRD IN A CAGE?!"_

 _"Oh, no…" Dipper glanced up from his self-imposed darkness at the sound of the familiar growl. He spotted a red glow in front of the cage's locked door. The radiance grew and faded repeatedly, as two empty eye sockets stared back at him without any sign of emotion. A series of lit-up, horizontal splits formed a sinister-looking smile. A bone-white visage reflected the energy off of its smoothed surface._

 _"HOW UTTERLY…DISGUSTING!"_

 _Dipper found himself face-to-face with the Slaughterhouse Mask yet again._

 _"What do you want?" He leaned against the back end up of his cell, resting his arms against his kneecaps. "You come just to make fun of me?"_

 _The brow of the mask shifted slightly, "WHAT? MOI? MAKE FUN OF YOU? PERISH THE THOUGHT…" It moved to the side, closer to Dipper, making the boy turn his head slightly. "I JUST…HEARD ABOUT A NEW ARRIVAL IN THIS PLACE, AND WANTED TO CHECK THINGS OUT." The shining sneer shifted slightly beyond its fixed position. "AND HERE YOU ARE…"_

 _"Heard about?" Dipper quizzed, raising an eyebrow. "From who?"_

 _"OH, I FORGET THE DETAILS…" The mask teased, floating around the cage's back side and ending up at Dipper's left. "BUT HERE'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR YOU: WHAT'S YOUR MASTER-PLAN FOR GETTING OUT OF THIS LITTLE PREDICAMENT OF YOURS?"_

 _"I…" Dipper sunk back into the depths with a heavy sigh. "I haven't a clue…"_

 _The mask let out a quiet cackle. "IS THAT RIGHT? WELL…" It returned to its starting point in front of the cage. "…I HAVE A BOLD SUGGESTION FOR YOU."_

 _Dipper folded his arms, "And that is…"_

 _It rubbed up against the iron bars. "PUT ME ON. SURE, I CAN'T PROMISE THE USUAL GROWNING PAINS WON'T COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE, BUT ONCE YOU HULK UP AND BREAK OUT OF THAT STINKIN' HOLE, WE CAN WREAK SOME VENGEANCE AND CAVE SOME SKULLS IN. WHAT DO YA SAY?"_

 _Dipper carefully thought over the proposition for a moment._

 _"Not a chance!"_

 _The mask's eyes became a darker shade of blood red. "WHAT?!"_

 _"Did you think I was born yesterday?!" Dipper sat back up. "I'd rather take my chances stuck in here than having you trying to possess me every two minutes. Thanks, but no thanks!"_

 _The sentient face wear let out a growl before regaining a calmed state. "I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT FOR A SECOND, KIDDO. IT WASN'T ALL BAD, WAS IT? DIDN'T WE HAVE A BLAST PUNCHING ZOMBIES AND STOMPING MONSTERS TO DEATH?"_

 _"And having random fits of insanity and madness?" Dipper argued back. "Like what happened in that Hall of Mirrors with all of the Wendy illusions?" He paused as a sense of sadness griped him. "What…What would have happened if the real one was there and – "_

 _"OH, BOO-HOO! SPARE ME, WON'T YOU, SMALL FRY?" The mask's tone became infuriated. "WE'VE BEEN OVER THIS BEFORE. I'M JUST AN ENABLER, DIPPER. I DON'T MAKE THE MONSTERS. I JUST OCCASSIONALLY HELP UNLEASH THEM. HERE'S A THOUGHT: HOW ABOUT YOU START TAKING RESPONISBILITY FOR YOUR HANG-UPS INSTEAD OF BLAMING OTHERS FOR THEM. ONLY THEN WILL YOU EVER BE CONSIDERED A MAN…"_

 _The mask laughed hysterically at its own twisted joke. Annoyed, Dipper sat down as another doubt entered his thoughts._

 _"I think…we're done here."_

 _The mirth faded as the mask's beam dimmed. "HUH?" Its eyes narrowed further. "…FINE, THEN. REJECT MY OFFER. SEE IF I CARE." It floated back towards the darkness as its light faded from sight. "BUT IN PARTING, I'LL SAY YOUR CHOICE IS STUPID, AS WELL AS INCREDIBLY SELFISH."_

 _"Selfish?" Dipper poked his head up. "What do you mean by that?"_

 _The mask froze in place. Unknown to Dipper, its grin became wider as the bait was being taken._

 _"OH, IT'S NOTHING TO CONCERN YOURSELF OVER. ALL I WAS SUGGESTING WAS THAT YOU MAY NOT BE THE ONLY ONE AFFECTED BY YOUR DECISION…"_

 _Dipper hurried to the front bars. "Stop playing games! Who else are you talking about?"_

 _The mask rotated around, making sure to take its time to fly back in front of Dipper. "I THINK…IT MIGHT BE BEST IF I JUST SHOW YOU…" It spun around to reveal its other side._

 _Dipper scooted back as the mask zoomed towards him. "Dude, I already told you "no!""_

 _"THINK, FOOL!" The mask chastised. "YOU SHOULD KNOW BY KNOW – WE CANNOT BECOME ONE WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT. Dipper took notice as the mask's eyes began to change into a swirl of colors. "STARE INTO MY EYES. LET THEM BECOME YOURS…"_

 _Dipper's vision began crossed and then blurred. He couldn't help but feel as if he was losing himself in the sensation. He blinked, finding himself looking over a colossal mansion overseeing a peaceful countryside. Oddly enough, a gigantic clock tower had been built into the manor's center._

 _"Whoa! Whose house is this? It's massive!"_

 _"SHH…" The mask whispered._

 _Beading his eyes further, Dipper could make out something moving about on the top of the clock tower. A blue and red form limped around a worn, wooden plank way. After a few seconds, Dipper realized that it was a teenaged girl dressed in an old-fashioned schoolgirl outfit. Her long red hair concealed her identity._

 _"No..way…" Dipper couldn't believe what he was seeing. He wiped his eyes with his fists to make sure._

 _The girl turned around and brushed the long auburn locks away from her face, revealing a pair of unforgettable emerald eyes, a set of trademark freckled cheeks, and adorable dimples._

 _"Wendy!" Dipper exclaimed. "It's Wendy! It's really her! But where – where is she?"_

 _"WELL," The mask narrated further. "I GOT GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS FOR YOU, BUCKO. THE GOOD NEWS? YOUR DEAREST WENDY DID NOTICE SOMETHING WAS AMISS AND WENT AFTER YOU INTO THE GAMING UNIVERSE. SHE'S LOST, ALL ALONE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD IN SEARCH OF YOUR MISERABLE KEISTER. BOY, WHY DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR?"_

 _Dipper shut his eyes for a split second as he fought against the building moisture. "I knew it…I knew she would -" The building hope within shattered as Dipper re-opened his eyes, as the mask's words lingered in his thoughts. "Wait. You said there was bad news. What's the bad news?"_

 _"LOOK ABOVE HER…"_

 _Dipper's mouth dropped as he detected something strange hiding along the rafters of the clock tower. A hunchbacked monster than resembled a small, pre-teen boy wearing in a blue blazer and short pants descended from ledge to ledge towards Wendy's location. Most alarming of all, he carried what appeared like a giant pair of sharpened scissors, complete with three-foot blades. A disturbing, locked grimace on his gray, undead face became bigger as he drew closer to his prey._

 _"Oh no!" Dipper cried. "Wendy! Look out! Please! Above you!"_

 _"SHE CAN'T HEAR YOU…" The mask teased in a sing-song voice._

 _Surprisingly, Wendy gazed at the ceiling, almost like she could hear Dipper's warnings, and spotted the scissor-welding child heading her way. Without a moment's hesitation, the redhead held up the end of her long dress with one hand, and dashed across the walkway._

 _"Yes!" Dipper cheered his crush on. "Go! Go!"_

 _"WHAT ARE YOU SO HAPPY ABOUT? SHE'S RUNNING AWAY!"_

 _"What do you expect?!" Dipper shouted back. "Wendy's being chased by a guy with super-sized scissors! What would you want her – wait, what's that?"_

 _As Wendy ran, Dipper saw something falling from the machinery above the path. A sturdy metal chain slithered across the wood, like it had come alive. Like a snake, it waited for the perfect moment to strike. As soon as Wendy was parallel with it, the chain lounged forward and wrapped itself tightly around a nyloned ankle. It instantly grew taut and pulled Wendy off of her feet. She landed on the splintered walkway on her elbows and knees with a *THUD!*_

 _Dipper watched helplessly as Wendy tried to stand back up, only to have her foot held in a death-trip by the mysterious chain-link. She sat up and tried to remove the tether, finding it well-knotted above her black dress shoe. Dipper went back towards the scissor-boy, seeing that he made it down another floor of the clock tower._

 _"No! No! No!" Dipper grabbed his face with distress. "She's trapped!"_

 _"HEY, LOOK! THAT CLOCK TOWER IS KINDA LIKE YOU, KID. IT TOOK A HOLD OF THAT GIRL, AND REFUSES TO LET HER GO! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"_

 _Every dart, jump, and hurdle ended with the plucky cashier being tackled back to the ground. The horrifying scenario reminded Dipper of the stories Wendy told him about occasionally finding herself caught in one of her father's snares in the Gravity Falls Woods…_

 _…except there wasn't anyone to help her out of this mess; no Manly Dan to release her, or annoying brothers to go get help. The only person nearby was her deranged attacker, whom happily opened-and-shut his razor-edged weapon with glee._

 _And Dipper was only able to spectate as things played out, left without any way to rescue his rescuer._

 _"This…" He gripped the bars of his cage. "This can't be happening! There has to be some way to help Wendy! There has to be!" Dipper called out to the mask. "Can't – Can't you help her? Please? Say that you can!"_

 _"HMM?" The mask murmured. "WHY, I CAN'T HELP THAT POOR SOUL. AFTER ALL, I AM ONLY JUST A SIMPLE MASK." Its voice deepened. "BUT, "WE" CAN DEFINITELY DO SOMETHING…"_

 _"We?"_

 _"JOIN ME, DIPPER…" The mask hissed. "PUT ME ON, AND WE CAN SAVE YOUR WENDY. I SWEAR TO YOU…"_

 _"No…" Dipper shook his head back and forth. "I can't – how can I trust you? How do I know you won't try to take my body over again?"_

 _"YOU DON'T!"_

 _Dipper's mind raced as he continued to see Wendy struggle in vain against the chain holding her in place. The scissor-boy was drawing even nearer to the ground floor as the world seemed to flow in slow-motion. The mask's temptations made Dipper's head pound with every syllable._

 _"WHAT WILL IT BE, BOY? YOUR SOUL? OR HER LIFE?"_

 _The throbbing in Dipper's temples felt like jackhammers. All he could see was Wendy struggling to break free of her trap; a trap that she had fallen into trying to find him – to save him._

 _"Alright!" Dipper's voice echoed throughout the vast emptiness. "Her life! I choose: her life!"_

 _"FINALLY!"_

 _The visions of Wendy faded as the mask fell into Dipper's awaiting palms outside of the cage. The red essence went back into its structure. The malevolent voice chanted on in Dipper's sub consciousness._

 _"AT LONG LAST…IT'S TIME TO PLAY AGAIN…_

 _…TIME TO FULIFILL OUR DESTINY…_

 _…DREAM WITH ME, DIPPER…"_

 _"Yessss…" Dipper could already feel the mask's influence growing over him. He slowly lifted it towards his face. The dark of its backside seemed to stretch on for an eternity._

 _Just as Dipper was about to pull the mask through the bars of his cage, a blunt object flew through the air and struck it, shattering the ancient relic into a thousand pieces. The white flakes floated through Dipper's fingers, turning into dissolving pixels as they touched the ground._

 _"NOOOOOOOO!" Both Dipper and the essence of the mask moaned as it faded from existence. The thirteen-year-old could no longer hear its voice in his head. He raised his sights to see his kidnapper standing before him, happily resting their weapon against an open palm._

 _""As long as that mask remains - it can happen again…"" It let out a laugh. "Boy, they weren't kidding with that, were they?"_

 _Left dumbfounded, coming off of the mask's spell, Dipper forced a voice up from the pit of his stomach, "What did – what are you talking about?"_

 _"Eh?" His distracted captor was caught slightly off-guard. "Oh. Well, that was his deal. At least, according to his game." It noticed Dipper's daze. "You did know that, right?"_

 _Dipper shook his head._

 _"Jeez!" The jailer slapped its side in frustration. "Don't kids these days read the manuals that come with games for the backstory?"_

 _The confused teen raised an eyebrow, "Since when do video games come with manuals?"_

 _His abductor took a breath. "Let me try another way, kid. Why do you think the link between worlds keeps reopening? Who would have anything to gain from it?"_

 _"Wait," Dipper interrupted. "You're telling me that it was the mask?"_

 _"It's always been the mask, dummy!" It threw out its arms in outrage. "Think about it for a sec. You really think Rumble just knew that he could reach out and kidnap your precious Wendy? Or that the King of Thieves could increase his sorcerer skills ten-fold by sacrificing her? Or hey, the Emperor of Darkness just guessed there was another world beyond the pixels to conquer?"_

 _"The mask…" Dipper gulped. "…really did all of that? But why?"_

 _"For you, Dipper…" The predator placed their hands against the bars just above Dipper's. "From the minute you first walked into the arcade with Wendy, it was drawn to you. It could see your insecurities and weaknesses from the monitor system. It licked its lips at the thought of devouring you, body and soul, piece by piece…"_

 _"Hold on!" Dipper crossed his hands in a time-out. "If that was true, then, why did it let me go?" Merely recalling of the horrors of the Slaughterhouse gave him goosebumps._

 _"Because it didn't have a choice! You beat its game, so it had to let you go. But the mask wasn't satisfied with just a taste, Dipper. You weren't like the others; you actually survived. But once separated, the only way it could rejoin with you is if you allowed it to."_

 _Dipper snapped his fingers. "That's why it followed me to the cemetery during the invasion! Or how it was able to find me – " His voice trailed off as a haunting notion came over him. "It's the reason you're here now, isn't it?"_

 _The figure stood silent, never bothering to make an effort in answering his question._

 _"Wait! WENDY!"_

 _Suddenly, Dipper hoisted himself upwards. All of these unveiled revelations and shocks made his top priority slip from his mind. "The mask…the vision it showed of Wendy. Was it real? Or a trick? Do you know if she's alright? Or even here in this universe? Tell me!"_

 _"Ohh…" The snatcher said with a sense of pity. "You poor thing…" It reached into the cage and caressed his flushed cheek. "You don't have to worry about her anymore. I'm here for you now…"_

 _Dipper grew angry at such carelessness. He pushed his captor back with both arms. "Get away from me!" He flung back towards the other side of the cage as two murderous hands lunged after him._

 _"You little brat!" Unable to reach Dipper, the predator kicked the cage with full force, sending it flying around in endless circles. He cried out, trying to hang on to the bars to his sides. His entire world became a nauseating blur, save for the two glaring eyes stalking from every angle. "I'll see to it that you rot down here forever!"_

 _When the cage finally stopped, a dizzy Dipper lifted his now-heavy head, finding that he was all alone once more. He struggled to reach the front of the cage, peering over to see the remnants of the mask continuing to pixelate out of existence. His soft brown eyes grew dark, seeing that his last escape had been literally ripped out of his fingertips. Dipper turned over onto his back, taking deep breath after breath, silently wondering if he had seen was actually real or not…"_

* * *

Wendy walked through the blinding-white corridor as she felt a gentle warmth embrace her. Her damp, soaked clothing had been instantly dried. Her mud-caked, socked feet seemed lighter and much drier, as she stopped squishing with every step. A scented fragrance replaced the smell of mildew lingering in her nostrils.

As the light faded, as Wendy's vision became to return, the first image that appeared before her eyes was a tightened fist flying towards her face.

"WHOA!" With lightning speed, the lumberjane countered the blow, taking a tight grasp on the limb, and flipping it over her shoulder. The unfortunate attached soul landed behind her with a *CRASH!*

 _"What the hell was that?"_

Wendy spun around to see an unconscious man lying upside-down against the nearest wall. _His hairless head reflected the lights beaming down over them. Black sunglasses, now broken down the center, were hanging down from the ridge of his nose. His cheap, imitation jewelry had become entangled along his bare chest. Various symbols and initials have been tattooed into his biceps. Blue-jeaned legs twitched on and off in response to the sudden blow._

"I don't know what your problem is…" Wendy proudly dusted off her hands with a smile. "But that'll show ya!" She paused as she noted something off. "Eww…" _Her palms had been covered in black fingerless gloves._ "They're like Robbie's…"

"Hey!"

Before she could see would else had changed, Wendy saw another punk-rocker approaching her. _The man was easily double the size of the last, in both muscle and height. He threw his Mohawk back, his bleached white and purple hairs draping over his worn face. His hardened, dark eyes stared directly at the fifteen-year-old, never as much as blinking. Round, blackened indents surrounded the eye-sockets. Dark veins could be seen from his chest, poking out from a bullet-covered vest. His camo-colored pants were ripped and torn in several places. Surprisingly, his brown boots were polish and well-kept._

He flicked his wrist, as a small, but sharpened switchback flew up. The stranger clutched the blade and staggered towards Wendy, letting out of a maniacal cackle under his breath.

Instantly, the redhead raised her arms in defense and paced herself. She knew that one false move would leave her with some serious damage.

The hood swung at Wendy with the knife. She skipped back out of his range. "Didn't your – "

He swiped again, forcing Wendy to hop back a second time. "– mother ever teach you– "

Enraged, the man darted towards and stabbed towards Wendy's chest. She side-stepped to the left and seized the beefy arms with both hands. Meeting him eye-to-eye, Wendy hoisted a fast elbow directly into the man's nose. "-that "Hey!" is for horses?!"

The fallen attacker fell into the floor, holding his face in agony. He flashed colors and quickly melted into a pile of melting pixels, prompting Wendy to gasp aloud. _"What?"_ She turned back around towards her other assailant, finding that he, too, had vanished from sight.

"Man, lady. I don't know where you came from, but those moves were definitely slick!"

Wendy spun about on the balls of her feet and readied her stance to fight again. _A young boy, roughly around Dipper's age, bobbed up and down on a pair of orange rollerblades. A baseball cap of the same color was turned backwards and over his buzzed dark hair. A yellow basketball jersey was placed over a plain black T-shirt. Baggy white shorts traveled down to his scrapped knees._

 _Oddly enough, the teen sported a pair of orange kick-boxing gloves, almost as if he was preparing to fight. But the thing that stood out the most was his bright smile. His demeanor and positive stance simply oozed charisma and charm._ He reached out to shake hands. "My name's – "

"Hold on a sec, slugger." A partially-red-gloved hand rested itself on the kid's shoulder. _A blonde-hair man stood behind him with a concerned expression. Wendy guessed that he had to be in his mid-twenties at most. A navy bandanna kept his bangs out of his soft, blue eyes. The white muscle-shirt he wore had been stained with perspiration. His classic indigo dyed jeans were blotted with random smears of dirt. The same went with his once-white sneakers_. "No real names here. You never know whose listening. We need to see whose team she's playing for."

Wendy held her hands out, "It's cool. I'm cool. We're cool." She nudged with her neck behind her. "Those two thugs tried to jump me, and I definitely made them think twice.

"What are you doing here?"

"I ended up here while looking for a friend of mine." Wendy explained as she bent down and held a hand a few feet above the ground, "He's about neigh-high, kinda talks a lot when he's nervous, and wears a blue and white cap with a pine tree on it. Have you seen him?"

The two males shared a look for a split second.

"Nope. Haven't seen him around."

"Me, neither. Sorry, lady…"

"Rats!" Wendy punched the palm of her other hand as she leaned back against the nearest wall. "Another dead-end!"

"Now, hang on." The blonde fighter reached out with an open hand. "We don't know that for a fact. That's actually why we're here!"

"Huh?" Wendy lowered a foot to the ground. "What do you mean by that?"

The man pointed to the ground, where the fallen foes had been. "Those two that you took out – they're part of a gang that has our hometown in a death grip!"

"Really?" Wendy raised an eyebrow. "A bunch of lovable mischief makers like them? I couldn't imagine…"

"It's no joke!" The skater insisted. "Those jerks have their mitts into everything rotten." He counted of on his fingers. "Strings of robberies, chop-shops, drug-rings. They even have the cops and politicians in their back pocket!"

 _"Wow."_ Wendy thought. _"And here, I thought I had quite the rap sheet."_ She pressed the issue. "By chance, they wouldn't be against adding "kidnapping" to their M.O., would they?"

To Wendy's surprise, the boy's face changed. His beam lowered for the first time since they met.

"They…might have my brother…"

Her heart sunk into her feet. She could easily relate to the sense of despair and loneliness that he felt.

"Oh, man. I – I'm so sorry…"

"Yeah," his counterpart lamented. "I wouldn't let it past _the Syndicate_ …"

"The what?"

"The crime organization behind this whole mess." He raised his head towards the ceiling. "And the big cheese in charge of it all is 'way up there."

"Up there?"

Due to the rapid-fire commotion surrounding her, it hadn't dawn on Wendy to look upwards, or even around at her. The three strangers were standing at the bottom of what appeared to be _the world's fanciest elevator shaft. Her shoes sunk into the lush red carpeting that made up the flooring. The various pistons and pulleys were well-kept and oiled without the slightest hint of rust. A sealed, gray double door with red trimming led back to the outside world. A bright light could be seen stemming from whatever awaited them above._

Wendy paused as she noticed her reflection in the polished elevator door. _The mud-stained, schoolgirl uniform had been transformed into a hip, red leather jacket with a matching short skirt. Black stripes had been marked across her shoulders and down her chest. The outfit was held tight by a slimming black belt wrapping around her waist._

 _Her long, copper hair was held back by a bright red headband. Wendy rocked back and forth on tanned, nyloned feet comfortably tucked in scarlet cross-trainers_. At first, caught unaware, the clerk quickly grew accustomed to her new appearance.

 _"Hmm…"_ She brushed her hair back with one hand and pulled on the collar of the jacket. _"Not too shabby. Has a nice chic taste to it – WHOA!"_

The floor started to rumble beneath Wendy's feet. She held an arm against the nearest wall to regain balance. The elevator slowly moved upward.

"What's – What's happening?!"

"It's like I said." The man pounded his wrapped fists together. "We're on our way to meet the boss man himself."

The trio remained silent until the platform came to a stop a few moments later.

Wendy planted her legs to avoid stumbling about. "Why'd we stop?"

"Because more are coming…"

"More _what?_ "

The elevator suddenly stopped. He raised his head for a brief moment, only to grab Wendy's wrist roughly and pull her towards her.

"Hey!" Wendy exclaimed. "What's your damage?! I thought – "

The words became lodged in her throat as she heard something smack the ground behind her. Three more gang members had landed on the elevator floor. Strangely enough, they appeared identical to one another, excluding variants in hair color and uniforms. _Each sported a spikey, pointed hairdo frozen perfectly into position. Their faces were masked by the furry collars of raised-up bomber jackets. For some reason, the black silhouette of an eagle had been marked on the back side of each coat. Skin-tight jeans were tucked into worn-out wing tips. The group moved in unity, casually strolling towards the unwanted visitors._

Wendy set her stance, waiting for these newest foes to strike. She quickly peered behind her. "Are you guys re – "

Little did she know that her latest partners already sprang into action. The man dashed towards the nearest crook, a purple-haired, green jacket enemy and lowered his fist against the floor, raising it with such intensity that it turned to fire!

"GRAND UPPER!"

Wendy's jaw dropped as the baddie was chucked into mid-air. His body pixelated into nothingness before hitting the ground. On the other side, his counterpart used his footwear to his advantage, skating circles around his yellow-jacketed, blue-haired opponent until he was dizzy. Upon seeing this, the skater made a beeline ahead and leapt, rolling himself into a cannonball, and knocking the crook down flat. He, too, liquefied into a colorful pixel pile.

The last member, donning in blue with an orange hairdo, approached Wendy, making her raise her guard. Before she could attack, the multi-colored adversary performed a sliding attack across the floor. He struck Wendy's right leg, knocking her off-balance.

"WHA - !" She switched feet and stuck her arms. The punk went to stand. Wendy knew she couldn't be left wide open like this. She leapt off her left leg towards him, delivering a devastating karate chop to his shoulder. With the attacker stunned, Wendy grabbed him by the shoulders and used a long leg to kick out the back of his right knee. Before he fell, she slammed him down, banging his head off the floor. The last triplet soon melted away from reality as well.

"Nice one, lady!" The kid cheered for Wendy. "That really looked like it hurt!"

She smiled, "I kinda hoped so – " The floor began to rise, catching Wendy unprepared again. "It's starting back up!"

"Brace yourself, guys!" The older martial artist warned. "When this thing stops, there's bound to be more of those creeps."

"Pfft!" Wendy scoffed as the lift jolted to a halt. "Big whoop! They're probably push-overs like the last batch -"

A shadow dropped down directly behind Wendy, making her pause. Before she could spin around, the slender teen was plucked from the ground and thrown into the air. Wendy let out a startled scream: "BAHHHH!"

The skater boy cupped his hands and shouted, "Upsy! Upsy!"

"WHAT – OOOOF!"

Wendy skid across the carpet, painfully scrapping her back side. Her assaulter stepped forward, casting a shadow over her. _The tall man that stood in front of her had an old-school favor to him. His thick, brown hair was parted down the middle. He twitched his curly, handlebar mustache. An ironed, red vest covered a puffy, white dress shirt neatly tucked into gray work slacks._

"Forgive the rough treatment, miss, but you shan't go any further than this…"

With a huff, Wendy hopped back to her feet. "The hell I "shan't!"" She threw a packed fist towards the man's chest, only for him to clasp her wrist before impact. He stared down at Wendy with a sense of pity. Not to be denied, the determined teen followed suit with a roundhouse kick towards the man's head. He released her hand, catching Wendy's ankle in mid-swing. Her opponent gave a sly smirk in response.

"That's two…"

With a thrust forward, Wendy launched herself forwards, hoisting her other foot directly into the enemy's gut. Astonished, he stumbled back as the nimble warrioress flipped into the air, striking him on the chin with her now-freed leg. Both landed on the ground at the same time; Wendy safely on one knee, and the gentleman flat on his back as he liquefied into nothingness.

"And third time's the charm…" Wendy looked ahead to see how the boys were doing. "Hey, do you guys need any – "

Her words dried up as she watched the two mysterious fighters take action. They teamed up against _an obese, balding pugilist. His brow drooped down over his beady eyes. A thinning mustache blanketed a curved lip. He pranced around in bare feet, dodging fiery blows to his striped arms and red-orange-overall-covered flabby build._

"Wow…" Wendy itched the top of her head. "I guess Dad was right. Old-timey boxers _did_ walk around in ridiculous getups like that…"

The youngest fighter threw his arms down in a rage, "Man, forget this!" He skated away from his obstacle, only to zoom off the wall, and back towards the boxer. The boy took to the air and zoomed diagonally against his foe's body as he rotated around, turning his small stature into a literal flaming star.

"CORKSCREW KICK!"

Wendy was blinded by a swift flash, as she could hear a large groan in the distance. She blinked several times to clear her sights, finding only the two males remaining. The small skater was bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"That…" Wendy drew near. "That was…"

"Awesome?" He grinned proudly. "I know."

"No. I mean, how are you guys doing that thing? Where, you know - " Wendy pointed at the older fighter. "Your fist was lit on fire, dude! Was it that "Upsy" thing you two were saying earlier?"

They paused for a moment before bursting out laughing. Wendy beaded her eyes; she was not one to be the butt of a joke.

"I'm…I'm sorry…" The adult wiped a tear from his eye. "Upsy" is a term we use to explain how to counter being tossed by a bad guy."

"See, what you do…" the younger boy demonstrated the best he could with his hands, "Is to tuck your legs under you when you're in mid-air. That way, you land on your feet instead of your butt."

"Oh…"

"And as for this…" The blonde made a tightened fist as he silently grunted. After a few seconds, the gloved hand started to glow a bright orange before exploding into a ball of fire. Wendy strode back and yet, her eyes couldn't turn away from the amazing sight.

"Whoa…"

"Neat, huh?" He snapped his fingers, and his hand returned to normal. "You have to center yourself, and gather your chi to turn your rage into physical form."

"So, that's it, eh?" Wendy closed her eyes and strained, trying to emulate what she had witnessed. "Ugggghhhhh…"

"Don't strain yourself, lady." Her youngest counterpart warned. "It takes a while to get it down pat -"

Both guys froze up as a loud *POP!* could be heard. Wendy opened her right hand, producing a sparking silver flame in the palm of her hand. As she stood triumphant with a smirk, they stared on stunned amazement.

"How – "

"But, but…that should have taken _years_ to master!"

"Eh…" Wendy shrugged with a sense of pride. "I have a knack for these kinda things…" With her attention distracted, the flame flickered until it faded back into her hand. "Ah, man…"

The skater boy snickered as his older friend warned. "See? It's not as easy as it looks. It takes a focused and dedicated mind to maintain your spark – OOF!"

The elevator had started up again, startling all three combatants. "Looks like you'll have to practice later. We're moving again."

Wendy prepared herself, searching around the shaft for any new entries to the ongoing melee. _"Let's see: we've had punk rockers, switchblade handlers, British chaps, and overweight boxers. What else is going to be thrown at us next?"_

The ground jerked to a halt, as a massive shadow loomed overhead. It sped down to the floor, sending shockwaves in every possible direction. _The figure's long, curly black hair draped over a crooked, worn face. Pink and white war paint had been smeared over dark, bugged-out eyes, and down his bony cheeks. He sneered at Wendy with chipped yellow-stained teeth. He stood bare-chested, garbed in only red spandex trunks and silver fighter's boots with red shielding. The beefcake's purple veins stuck out of muscular arms pinched by tight-fitting silver gauntlets._

 _"A "Rock N' Wrestler", eh?"_ Wendy could only chuckle in disbelief as she walked towards the new challenge. _"Now, this should be a snap – what, hey?!"_

"LADY, WATCH OUT!"

Before Wendy knew what happened, she had been roughly seized from behind and sped upward. Her breath had been sucked out of her lungs as she was now about fifteen feet in the air. She tried to turn her head as the roar of a motorized engine filled her eardrums. All Wendy could make out speeding flashes of white-blonde and grey. The roars stopped as a sinister voice cackled.

"What the – "

With a flash, the unknown threat, with Wendy in tow, shot back towards the earth. The sensation overcame her senses, like she had been unexpectedly strapped into the seat of a rollercoaster. Wendy couldn't as much as scream!

*SMACK!*

Just as they were about to reach the ground, the arms holding Wendy released her, allowing her to hit the carpet at full speed. She bounced off with a yelp, lying motionless on the floor. With some remaining strength, Wendy raised her head to see what managed to get the drop on her.

Hovering about in the air _, a slender man with a rocket pack strapped to his back surveyed the battle scene, looking for another opening to rush in for a sneak attack. His eyes were hidden away behind shaded googles supported across a long, beak-like nose. His light-blonde hair had been affixed back to a literal point, making Wendy wonder if had been styled that way, or a result of all the jetting around. A reflective-gray bodysuit with matching brown gloves and steel-toe boots protected him from the flames behind him._

"C'mon, lady! You gotta get back up! Your guy needs you, remember?"

Wendy lurched back to her feet with a groan, tightly clutching her stomach. She spotted the masked grappler dashed at the martial artist, pulling a tree-trunked-sized arm back, and delivered a stunning blow that sent the smaller man flying into the elevator's wall with a *KRAK!* The skater attempted to attack from the backside, but sped away after narrowly missing a backhand. Wendy grabbed the side of her head as it throbbed. _"I – I have to do something…"_

An upcoming roar forced her to clear her mind. The agile ginger rolled to the side, dodging a second cheap shot from the rocketeer. As he skidded along the ground, Wendy bent both knees and flew forward, raising both hands over her head. As she fumed, each palm became swathed with a burning white flame. Wendy threw down both arms simultaneously, chopping down on the flying menace across the shoulders. He cried out as he was sent spinning into countless rotations across the room.

"There!" Wendy relaxed her overly tensed body. "Next time, you'll – hey!"

"Gotcha, girlie!"

Once more, she had been grabbed from behind. Wendy could feel the wrestler's heavy breath bearing down on the back of her head. She tried to squirm out of his near-iron grasp to no prevail. Wendy stopped as the roaring engine could be heard again. She looked up to see the rocket man pressed up against the opposite wall. He pushed off the wall with his feet, launching towards her at full blast with his fist extended outwards.

Wendy knew that she couldn't escape from the wrangler's hold in time. _"I only have one chance to pull this off. And if I miss…"_ Just as the speeding villain was about to strike her, the teenage fighter leaned back against the wrestler's chest, using him as an anchor. With the added balance, Wendy lifted herself upwards and kicked outwards, striking the flyer in the face with both sneakered feet. The blow sent him soaring back towards the wall and out of control.

"Duh?" The behemoth was struck dumb by Wendy's sudden counterattack. Using that to her advantage, Wendy tugged forward, sending the wrestler over her back. His massive frame shook the entire elevator shaft, as he let out a deep groan that echoes throughout the room.

Still woozy, the martial artist, assisted by his smaller cohort, walked up and assessed the battle damage. "Ooh! Looks like our new buddy can really dish it out, huh?"

"No, not just yet. Stay still for a second, yeah?"

They looked around, as Wendy seemed to disappear from sight. A second later, the man felt hands on his shoulders as Wendy vaulted over him. She somersaulted two times before extending her legs downwards. Wendy landed with the poise of a gymnast, with both feet directly on the wrestler's breadbasket, making him cry out in anguish. A moment later, she sunk through the now-pile of pixels into the floor.

*KA-BOOM!*

All three turned to the wall as the jetman exploded into a sweltering blast, spreading thousands of pixels into the sky. As they touched the ground, the colorful confetti was soaked into the red carpeting.

"Nice finish…" The martial artist accredited with a sense of disbelief in this voice.

"Not really," Wendy beamed, as she poked her chin with a single finger sarcastically. "My foot slipped during the landing, so I wouldn't call it perfect."

The younger skater silently looked on with amazement before the words stumbled out of his mouth, "Man, lady. I think you like this way too much…"

"I – " Wendy had to think for a moment. In spite of the circumstances, part of her was actually having fun. In this game-world, the lumberjane was fully in her element. There weren't any magical properties to learn or unstoppable ghoulish monsters to escape from. _All that mattered in this world was who was left standing in the end._

Despite being punched and kicked and body slammed, it barely fazed Wendy at all. To her, it was just another family wrestling match with her versus all her brothers at the same time. And just like then, regardless of the odds, she would end up with all the spoils.

Before Wendy could answer, she was interrupted by the rising elevator. The skater pounded his fists in aggravation, "Ugh! This is getting old, man! When are we going to reach the top already?!"

"Relax, little guy," Wendy comforted him. "After everything that we fought off, there can't be too much more left. Like, they already threw everything at us, but the kitchen sink – "

*BUM-BUMP!*

A blaze of silver landed in the center of the platform as the elevator came to another stop. A large robot spun its oval-shaped head around a full 360 degrees as a red, circular lens in the center scanned the surrounding area, forcing Wendy and the other brawlers to back away. Its armored chest, marked with white and gray camouflage paint, stuck out greatly. Instead of arms, the automaton's limbs were made up of round spiked maces attached by retractable chain links. The legs, coated in the same camo pattern, were curved over and bent over like a frog's. Each foot ended with three prongs to keep steady, but was attached together.

The machine hopped in small distances, making the platform trembled with every jump. It set its sights on the blonde fighter, hurling a spiky ball at his face. He dodged out of the way at the last second.

"Hey!" The skater cried out as he dashed towards the robot. "You can't – BAH!"

With its other arm, the mechanical threat began to rotate the other chain faster and faster, sending its pointy tip flying. The boy pulled himself backwards and off his rollerblades to dodge the blow.

The robot twisted its head towards the last person remained standing. Wendy bemoaned, "Great…just great."

She saw that the glowing light imbedded in the robot's forehead grew brighter by the second. A loud, whining noise swiftly filled the room. Wendy's reflexes remaining on high alert, as she already knew what was coming. "Aw, nuts…"

*ZOOM!*

A red laser came soaring out of the android's head. Wendy hunched over backwards and avoided the blast. The robot's legs retracted, allowing it to bend further down.

*ZOOM! ZOOM!*

Another two blasts were launched towards Wendy's direction. She jumped straight upwards, kicking her legs into an outward split to avoid the shots. Landing on the floor, Wendy rolled backwards to dodge the final shot as it singed the ends of her lengthy locks.

 _"Dammit!"_

Once at a safe distance, the boys joined her to try to formulate a battle plan. They huddled head-to-head as the robot continued to skip towards its selected targets.

"Alright, then." The martial artist noted. "It seems like that thing has us covered from every possible angle."

"It's like it's got eyes on the back of its head!" The younger boy added. "It was even able to see me coming from behind!"

Wendy peeked up to see the robot trying to search the platform for their location. The red light dimmed and brightened repeatedly.

"Maybe that's the problem…" She lowered her head back into the group. "Sure, it can kick our butts one-on-one, but what if we were to take it on all at once?"

"Ah…" The guys nodded along as they stood at Wendy's side. She cracked her neck and knees in preparation.

"Try to follow my lead, okay?"

Wendy sprinted towards the robot, setting off its sensor. She jumped and forward-flipped, spinning her body as the mace-arms shot out towards her, missing their mark. Both of Wendy's feet struck the machine's face as she flew through the air. Using her current momentum, she flew into a furious slide as soon as she made contact with the floor. Wendy knocked against the automaton's left leg, knocking it off-balance. Streaks of fire flowed from Wendy's legs and onto the carpeting, keeping the soulless assassin in a set path.

Once she was out of range, Wendy called over her shoulder. "Your turn!"

"Hey, yo!"

The robot's head turned to face the much smaller skater boy, finding no one there. In a flash, he dropped to the floor and spun around on his back, creating a whirlwind of actual fire with his legs. The orange-reddish blur knocked against the android's other leg, making it wobble even further.

"Let's finish this!"

The blonde rushed to the distracted robot's front and unleashed a flurry of flaming punches, leaving numerous dents and scrapping off pieces of twisted metal, revealing a compartment filling with blinking circuits and tangled wiring. With one final blow, the man delivered one last uppercut that knocked the robot onto its back.

The machine whirled and clicked as its head and limbs thrashed wildly. Seconds later, a series of explosions were set up from within its chest, prompting Wendy to turn away from the sight. When she looked back again, nothing remained of the machine, except the usual pile of melting pixels and some slight burn marks on the floor.

*CLICK!*

The elevator started up again, as all three fighters stood back-to-back, ready for any other surprises that would dare attempt to drop in on them. At long last, the rising floor made its final stop, exposing the allies-by-fate to blinding natural light.

Wendy held a hand above her eyes to better see her surroundings. They had arrived at the top floor of a glorious penthouse. Designer panel glass windows adorned the back wall, save for the center which had a barred, crossed pattern across it. The sun could be seen rising in the distance along the tops of a rich, vast jungle. Various animal head trophies decorated the upper walling just below the ceiling.

In the center of the room, _a rather large man sat with his legs crossed on a luxurious beige chair with an annoyed scowl across his face. He rested his right elbow on the chair's arm, holding up his head full of slicked, lengthy dark hair with his fist. His left was placed on the chair's other armrest, its fingers tapping in a bothersome rhythm. Dressed in a tan, custom-made two piece suit, with a blue-silk, collared button-down shirt and red-striped tie, the man held a thick and expensive cigar between his curled lips._

To his right, _a lone warrior stood silently over him with arms crossed against his chest. An orange headband held back long black hair that traveled past his shoulders. His tanned face was squeezed tight, his narrowed eyes pierced through Wendy like she wasn't even there. The man's well-toned body was made even slimmer was his navy blue jumpsuit, tied off at the waist by a red sash. Matching blue slip-ons remained flat on the ground, as he calmly awaited his master's orders._

"Huh?" Wendy found left surprised by the two motionless figures. "Who's the geezer and the tool?"

"That's him…" The martial artist warned with a grim tone. "The leader of the Syndicate…"

"That's the guy?!" Wendy couldn't believe it. "There's no way. He looks like he belongs in an office on Wall Street."

"Believe it, lady," the skater backed up. "Don't let the getup fool you. He's as rotten as they come!"

*SNAP!*

The gang leader, without changing his expression in the slightest, raised his left hand off the arm rest and snapped his fingers. The ninja-wrapped bodyguard leapt up and over Wendy's head, making her flinch. He landed in front of the blonde martial artist, as the two stared each other down in utter silence. The tension in the room felt was thick and heavy. Seconds felt like hours in passing.

*SLAM!*

In the blink of an eye, the first blow had been made. The new challenger delivered an outstretched roundhouse to the back of his foe's head. His calf down was covered with a dense red flame until the leg retracted back to the ground.

 _"Oh, great…"_ Wendy watched the new battle play out. _"Another magic kung-fu guy…"_

The blonde was sent flying backwards towards the wall. He used an arm to press off against it, and force himself back into the fight. His black-dressed nemesis dashed at lightning speed to make up the slack. A series of blue sparks followed along the ground alongside him. His feet never even touched the floor!

*KRAK!*

The blonde rose up from his hunched position and went into a fiery-punch combo. After a few shots, the man in black caught up and countered punch after punch. He grabbed a handful of yellow-colored hair and pulled his head down, using his free hand to viciously pound on the stunned hero.

"Hey!"

The skater boy rushed into the fray, grabbing the stranger by the shoulders. He hopped over his head, and using the given force, flung the attacker across the room. The karate master bounced against the back wall, landing safely on one knee, before rushing back into battle against the two friends.

"Heh…"

Wendy turned around to see that a small, but twisted smile had appeared on the big boss's face. He was enjoying the display – _their entire struggle_ – like an emperor surveying waring gladiators for mere amusement. She marched up to his plush throne, figuring that there was a chance to finally bring things to an end by cutting off the source.

"Hey, "business-up-front, party-in-the-back!" Wendy bent down and pointed a finger directly in the kingpin's face, making him glance up at her. "I don't know what's your deal is, but I'll tell ya, jerkface, it's getting old!" She went further, poking her index finger into the man's chest. His half-smile became a grimace. "You got a lot to answer for, but I swear I'll go easy on your sorry butt if you call off your goon right now, and – and – "

The words became caught in Wendy's throat as the head honcho rose up from his seat and towered over her. The gigantic chair and fancy clothing had hidden away his true size. He was even taller than the wrestler her group fought in the elevator shaft! The Syndicate boss plucked the cigar from his mouth, throwing it to the ground. Shocked, Wendy raised her head as the leader narrowed his brow at her, his perfectly groomed teeth exposed as his grimace deepened.

"Wow…" Even in this predicament, Wendy couldn't help but make another smart-aleck comment. "You're a big boy, aren't ya?"

*SMACK!*

Wendy never saw the blow covering. Before she knew what happened, she had been knocked to the floor. She looked up to see the man standing over her with a hand in one jacket pocket, and the other holding a full-sized tommy-machine gun in a death grip. He tossed his head back and released a dark, haunting laugh from the pit of his stomach that echoed across the room before lowering the gun to mid-range…

"HIT THE DECK!"

*TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!*

Wendy covered herself as the sound of running ammunition drowned out all other noise. She could see dozens of empty bullet shells clattering across the floor at an alarming rate. The throttling stopped, replaced by a clinking noise. Wendy opened her eyes as she instantly recognized it.

"He's reloading. Now's my chance!"

She bolted up and went for the boss's gun. There was no time to check on the others. They engaged in an intense tug of war over the weapon, twisting and turning, pushing one another back and forth with everything they had. The boss remained calm and calculated, except for the occasional grunt under his breath. With a lucky shove, Wendy against one of the glass panels serving as the back wall, shattering it. The teen strained, fighting the growing pain in her back, using it to fuel her wrath. She released her left hand from the tommy gun, and made a fist, delivering it square into the smug mouth of the druglord.

To Wendy's horror, his head recoiled almost immediately. He flashed a blood-covered smile, showing that he wasn't even fazed by her sucker punch. With a thrust of superhuman strength, he pulled the gun upwards, well out of Wendy's reach, and thrusted the butt stock down on her shoulder. Wendy cried out as she was brought down to her knees. Before she could recover, the man grabbed her jacket collar and flung her into the air. The words of the younger boy came rushing back: _"Upsy! Upsy!"_

As Wendy fell, she tucked her legs beneath her and planted them downwards. As was promised, she landed perfectly on her feet without harm. _"Son of a – it actually worked!"_ Without skipping a beat, the cashier planted a heel into the madman's ribcage, sending him stumbling back. He pawed at the new injury with care.

"Who'd thunk it?" Wendy smirked. "I guess the big man's not invincible after all…" She went to go on the offensive again, as something grabbed a wrist from behind. Wendy looked down to see that a thick cord was wrapped around her left hand. "The hell? Uhh!"

When she was yanked backwards even further, Wendy turned to see that the line was actually the business end of a whip belonging to a sort of femme fatal. _The older woman seemed as though she could be a model, yet alone an enforcer for an international crime ring. Her platinum-blonde hair journeyed down a periwinkle blue leotard matched with black fishnets. Pointed blue boots clicked with her every step._

"Hehehehehehehe…"

A sinister chuckle made Wendy glimpse at the other end of the room. _A rather large man stepped out of the shadows. Proudly clutching his brown suspenders, a food-stained white T-shirt barely covered his massive gut cup-caking over a pair of orange jeans barely holding at the seams. A baseball cap casted shade over his swollen jowls._

"So what's Chubbs over there gonna do?" Wendy mocked a laugh, fighting against the hold on her wrist. "You going to feed me to him or something?"

The smile was wiped off Wendy's face as the fat man's mouth opened wider than beyond human capabilities. A roaring burst of living fire came forth from the gaping hole, turning the new enemy into a living, breathing, and walking flamethrower. He padded faster and faster on ruined dirt-white sneakers, towards where Wendy was being held.

"Uh-oh!" The redhead knew what was coming next. Wendy turned her body towards the young woman with the whip, tricking her into changing her stance, before snapping back the other way. The faux model shrieked as she was thrown directly into the path of the chubby fire-welder.

*KRAK!*

Both foes collided as Wendy quickly untangled the whip from her arm. Instinct took over as the sound of clicking made her ears perk. The kingpin had recovered, and his gun was pointed in her direction. She rolled behind the massive chair, hoping it would be able to shield her from the upcoming spray of bullets.

*TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!*

Wendy could hear both hench-people exclaim as their bodies hit the floor. She peeked out from her sanctuary to see her assailants flash before fading into a melting pixeled existence. _"This is all kinds of messed up. That psychopath – he took out his own people for the hell of it! It's probably how he got to the top; by snuffing everyone in his way!"_

She took another look from her hiding place, seeing that the menace had disappeared from sight. _"Where'd he go now?"_ A large shadow had suddenly blanketed her. A loud clunk resonated across her temples. Wendy immediately placed both hands on the floor and slid her long leg back around, catching the boss's left knee, and making him grumble. He responded by stepping forward and placing a hard Italian loafer into her chest. She rolled across the carpeted floor and gagged, coming to a stop several feet away.

"Hey, punk! That's no way to treat a lady!"

Still on the ground, Wendy could see the small skater climb onto the mastermind's shoulders from behind. He swiftly pounded on the man's head from every possible angle, delivering fist after fist until a large hand grabbed his yellow shirt and flung him into the distance.

"YAAAAH!"

"Kiddo!" The martial artist dashed over from the now-fallen black-swabbed ninja bodyguard to check over his friend. As he knelt down to help him back up, the boss cocked his machine gun, and shifted the barrel towards them.

 _"He's going to kill them!"_

With the last of her strength, Wendy pushed herself upwards. Unbeknownst to her, her fists began to glow with pure, white energy. Running on full nerves and absolute rage, she pushed towards the man with both hands outwards, as she shouted to the top of her lungs:

"NO!"

The entire room became filled with a blinding light. The deep howls of a man could be heard, followed by a huge *CRASH!* and the shattering of glass. Wendy shook her head, trying to clear her vision. After a few moments, the overwhelming brightness faded and color returned to the world.

Wendy found herself standing where the Syndicate leader's throne has been placed. The barred window in front of her now had a giant hole in the center, as if something large had been thrown through it. The kingpin and his fancy chair was nowhere to be found.

"That was incredible!" The skater approached the stunned ginger from the left. "You really showed that sucker what's what!"

"I…did this?" Still stunned, Wendy held her hands up to her face. The white essence grew thinner and thinner until it was absorbed by into her freckled skin.

The martial artist placed a calming hand on her right shoulder, "It's alright. Your body and mind synced in that split second, resulting in that powerful release."

"Huh…" Wendy forced a smile, trying to shy away from her inner concerns. "Not…bad for someone that doesn't practice, eh?"

He nodded, "Not bad at all."

She walked towards the hole in the glass window, trying to see the aftermath on the sandy beaches below. "Still, I can't believe – "

As Wendy's sneaker touched a loose panel in the carpet, it sunk into the floor. She jumped back in reflex as a new passageway opened on the left side of the room. The younger boy skated pass his allies and peered into the new entry. He turned back around with a huge grin, waving the others to join him. "Here! In here!"

The martial artist went first, entering the secret passageway without hesitation. Wendy followed after him, unsure what to think. Was her battle finally over? Was her boy waiting for her rescue, and at long last, they could leave this place together?

Wendy ran with excitement after the guys, poking her head into the new discovery. In the room, a tiny spotlight shone over a young man in his twenties wearing a dirty yellow shirt and black jeans had been shackled to the wall by his wrists. His face was bruised and worn, suggesting he had tortured for days on end. His dark, flat-topped hair was covered with dust.

But the prisoner's soft, brown eyes were a key giveaway to his identity. They were the same as the ones belonging to the skater boy joyfully clinging to the hostage's side.

 _"It's the kid's missing brother…"_

Wendy rested against the edge of the opening as her heart fell yet again. Her heart was torn. The baddie had been destroyed, this world was saved, and everyone seemed to get their happy ending.

 _Everyone except her._

As the martial artist quickly went to work freeing the captive, Wendy felt a warm breeze against her shoulder blades. She could see a new portal opening up from behind her. Her time in this world was finished. Without saying a word, not wishing to disturb the touching scene with her own problems, Wendy walked backwards into the portal, allowing the light to overtake her once more.

Reunited, the three men came out of the room, unaware of what had happened. Supporting his older sibling as they walked, the skater called out for Wendy, "Hey, lady! It's my brother! I can't believe it! We wouldn't have found him without – "

He looked around the room, seeing that the red dressed fighter that secured their victory was nowhere to be found.

 _"She's…gone."_


	6. Chapter 6

_"Loved ones back home all crying 'cause they're already missing me.  
I pray by the grace of God that there's somebody listening.  
Give me a chance to be that person I wanna be.  
Oh, Lord, I'll try so hard, but you gotta let go of me."_

"Afterlife," by Avenging Sevenfold

 **Chapter 6 – Seven Minutes**

 _*KLACK!*_

 _Dipper looked down at the cage's floor to see that a plate had been tossed into his cramped cell. He found it had barbequed meat still-on-the-bone, and a sealed can of soda. Strangely enough, the meal was pixelated, as if taken from a video game itself._

 _"Here…"_

 _The captive boy barely glanced upward at his kidnapper. "What is this?"_

 _"What do you think it is, dummy? It's food."_

 _"It's video game food…"_

 _"It's still edible – it's not like it'll kill ya or something…"_

 _Dipper scoffed, making his captor question. "What's that supposed to mean?"_

 _"Why would you want to give me food?"_

 _"Well, you have been down here for a while. Figured you might be getting hungry by now."_

 _Dipper nudged the plate with the edge of his sneaker. "I'll pass."_

 _The abductor merely shrugged. "Suit yourself then." The shadowy figure walked away from the spotlight and melted back into the surrounding darkness. "You're not hurting me by starving yourself…"_

 _Soon enough, Dipper was left alone once more in his solitary confinement. Seconds passed like hours in his nerve-wrecked mind. The delicious aroma protruding from the plate invaded his nostrils, adding further to his temptation._

 _"It even smells like real food…"_

 _Dipper's stomach bubbled, begging him to reconsider. With a gentle touch, he plucked a tiny pixel from the piece of meat. Despise its odd shape, the crumb felt soft and tender and juicy._

 _It felt real._

 _Unable to fight the urge, Dipper slowly brought the pinched piece to his mouth and let it slip past his lips._

 _"Hmm…it's good. It's really good! I mean, it's nothing like back home, but definitely beats what Stan cooks up."_

 _Dipper placed his knuckle against the aluminum can. "I can't believe it. It's ice-cold!" He swiped it up in his palm and used his other hand to pop the tab, releasing a carbonated mist into the air. Dipper took a long gulp of the sweetened beverage; the cooled soda offered a relief to his overly-dried throat._

 _"Ah!"_

 _Finding no apparent threat, Dipper continued on with his meal, picking at the barbecued roast, while making sure to take modest sips to keep the soda as long as possible. "This is kinda messed up when you think about it…*BURP!* I'd hate to admit this, but this is probably the highlight of this whole nightmare – AAAAAAHHHHH!"_

 _Dipper dropped the soda can and shrieked to the top of his lungs. He spun his right hand, repeatedly checking both the back and the palm, praying and hoping that he was imagining things. As the horror before him refused to vanish from sight, he screamed again, his cries echoing throughout the empty chamber._

 _His right hand had become as pixelated as the food he had swiftly devoured._

* * *

Wendy backed away from the touching reunion, not wanting to ruin the moment with her own sorrow. It was getting to the point that her anxiety was outweighing her anger. Any clue to Dipper's disappearance would instantly vanish upon reaching her goal, being teased with another upon arriving on a new universe.

 _"But how many of these worlds are there?"_ Wendy asked herself. _"There's like, thousands of games out there, right? What if…this…goes on forever?"_

The usual bright-white surrounded Wendy, stripping away all remnants of the last gaming world. With a sigh, the ginger went to turn around towards her next destination, only to be met by a gloved hand wrapping around her throat.

 _"And there you are, my dear…"_

*ACK! ACK!* Wendy struggled to breathe as she was thrust upwards without effort. She pounded on the arm with both palms, unable to clearly see the new threat. Her feet flailed wildly, trying to find something to strike. She could feel the steel grip twist her slightly, like someone was examining her from mid-air.

 _"I bet the last thing you expected was to find me waiting for you here…"_

The light began to fade away, revealing that the redhead had stepped into a vacant courtyard filled with fallen debris and a few tiny fires. Overcast blocked the moon's light from above. Tall, spiked fencing surrounding the area made it so that entry or escape would be near impossible. Further down the road were a group of bricked complexes. Through squinted eyes, Wendy was offered a brief glimpse of her attacker. She found herself in the grasp of _a slender man dressed in black from head to toe. His dark, blonde hair was slicked into a hardened shell. No expression could be found on his fetching, square-jawed face. His long body was blanketed by a shiny onyx slicker, ending before the floor with top-grade military boots._

 _But the most haunting detail was the man's eyes. From behind wrap-around sunglasses, Wendy could see what looked like two red laser dots tracking her every move._

He scoffed, "But it seems like our fates are always destined to meet. Aren't they, Miss Redfi – " The man paused, shifting his head in a near-mechanical fashion. His expression turned to anger upon further inspection. _"You're not her!"_

"No…kidding…" With a burst of strength, Wendy pulled her right hand and threw a haymaker across the man's cheek, knocking the shades off and onto the ground. "BAH!" Every part of the teenager's hand felt like it had been broken into pieces. _"Like…punching…concrete…"_

The man slowly pulled his head back from its stunned state, making Wendy gasped with what little breath she had left upon meeting him face-to-face one more.

"Who are you?!"

 _His eyes weren't human_. The pupils were long and pointed. The irises were yellow-colored with orange layering circling around them. Never once did they blink, instead returning a serpent's stare upon their prey.

 _They were the eyes of a demon._

"What are you?!"

"Hmm…" The new foe tightened his grip, making Wendy gag even harder. "How interesting. And yet, there is something different about you. Perhaps I'll save you for later. Who knows what wonderful monstrosity I can craft from your remains?"

"Wouldn't…bet…on…it…" Wendy flung her left knee directly into the man's crotch. She wailed in pain as her kneecap near-shattered. Her newest nemesis didn't as much as flinch.

"Heh…" The slick-haired stranger allowed himself a mere chuckle. "Struggle as you like. When you awake, you'll be in a much better place."

Wendy's world grew darker and bleaker. She banged on the hand draining her of all oxygen. It became harder and harder to keep her eyes open.

*POP! POP! POP! POP!*

The man groaned and stumbled forward, releasing Wendy. She fell to the ground, landing hard on her hands and knees, taking plenty of rich oxygen. The clerk looked on as the man in black spun around, taking notice of another stranger standing at the end of the courtyard's many gates.

 _The new arrival stood steady-footed with high-caliber pistol aimed ahead. The night air breezed against his buzz cut short brown hair, save for a small lock that draped against his forehead. His ice blue eyes focused on the battleground in front of him. He wore a plain green shirt beneath a heavy bulletproof vest with numerous pockets. His camouflage pants were neatly tucked into polished combat boots._

"Hold it, freak! Your brand of insanity ends here and now!"

The black-dressed menace scoffed and swiped away. "Even at the ends of the earth, you still manage to plague me!"

Wendy watched the tense scene play out as she attempted to regain her strength. _"So, I take it that these two aren't the best of friends. Lucky me…"_ A split second later, she was pulled from the ground single-handedly by her collar. "H-H-HEY!"

"Catch, goody-goody!"

As Wendy recovered, she had been flung towards the soldier at break-neck speed. "UGH!" They collided with a *CRUNCH!*, as they ended up on the cold, rocky ground in a tangled mess of limbs.

The wily-eyed villain reclaimed his sunglasses and covered his unusual eyes with them. He offered a quick wave of his hand, "Until next time, cretins!" He turned his back towards them and bent his knees, leaping twenty feet into the air and over the roof of the furthest building.

 _"Whoa! How in the hell?!"_ Wendy's eyes couldn't follow the trail of the mysterious man in black. He moved at such a velocity, it looked like he left blurred shadows behind in his footsteps. _"It's almost like those vampires in Mabel's stupid romance novels!"_

"No! You bastard!" The second man leapt to his feet and with gun drawn, took several potshots into the night sky. "Come back here!" He threw his fists downwards in rage, setting his sights on Wendy.

As he stood over her, Wendy struggled to make it up to a sitting position. Every joint in her body ached and throbbed. She offered an embarrassed smile, "Um, a little help?" Instead, she was now in the lines of his custom pistol.

"Who are you?!" The soldier shouted, his voice piercing Wendy's ears.

"Take it easy, man." The shaken teen attempted to calm the tense situation, holding both palms outwards. "My name's Wen – "

"How did you get here?!"

"I – I'm not really sure…"

Frustrated, the man lowered his weapon, reached down and seized Wendy by the arm. He roughly pulled her to her feet. "Ow! That hurt, you jarhead!"

He bellowed in her face, "And why are you dressed like my sister?"

 _"Your sister?"_ Wendy noticed her reflection in a nearby window. She broke free of the man's hold and stepped towards the complex. _Her auburn hair had been neatly tied back into a ponytail. A soft, golden choker had been set around her neck. A stylish red leather cut-off had been placed over a simple black tee that stopped short of her bare navel._

 _Tight-fitting blue jeans showed her every curve. Her feet had been set into expensive, seemingly custom made tan-colored, raised heeled boots; a far cry from her beat up oversized mud-stained waders._

 _Wendy could make out some type of image stemming from the back of the jacket. She turned about and looked in the window, discovering an uncanny logo. It was a female angel with wings made of fire. She was holding an unknown jar in her hands, serving as a form of offering. The angel gave off a charming, tooth smile, displaying both grace and charisma. In cursive writing, a message had been stitched out above the image:_

 _OREGON BORN & RAISED._

 _"Okay, then…"_ Wendy thought as she faced the soldier awaiting an answer. _"It's definite now. This video game thing is totally messing with me."_

"Well?"

"Look," Wendy shrugged her shoulders. "This may sound hard to believe – "

He crossed his arms, as his face hardened. "Try me…"

"Alright. To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm wearing this stuff, or even where "here" is. Hell, I couldn't tell you who that creep with the slicker was, or what his deal was – "

"His deal?!" The soldier's attitude lightened, showing a sense of disbelief. "You really don't – " He slapped his forehead. "Kid, do you even know how close to death you were? He could have ripped you in half like a dirty napkin if he really wanted to!"

Wendy became angry, stepping up to his challenge. She counted off on one hand. "First off, soldier boy, I'm not a kid. I'm fifteen!"

His expression grew even grimmer, "You're only… _fifteen_?" He overlooked the lanky cashier from head to toe. "Man, what are they putting in the water these days?"

Wendy ignored him and threw up another finger, "And two, I made it this far just fine, with little or no help, thank you very much. And I have no intention on stopping until I'm though and – HEY!"

Before Wendy could finish her rant, the man started to push her towards the nearest gatehouse. She could barely fight back in her current state. "What do you think you're doing? Didn't you hear anything I said?"

"I did. But I don't have time to babysit little kids…"

"Babysit? _Little kid?!"_

With his free hand, he opened the door, revealing a small living quarter. A neatly, folded bed had been lined against the left wall. A small desk and an oversized keepsake chest were set on the opposite end. All of the windows had been barred from the inside.

With one hard push, Wendy was shoved inside of the small room. The door had been slammed shut behind her.

*CLICK!*

"Wait!" The lumberjane jingled the door handle, finding it held firm. She banged on the exit with both fists. "Did you – you locked me in, didn't you?"

"Sorry, kid, but you'll be safer this way." Wendy could hear his stern tone through the door. "The last thing I need is you on my conscience…"

"You can't do this!"

"I'll be back before you know it." His voice grew further and further away. "Just stay put and be a good girl, okay?"

" _Be a good girl?!_ " Wendy grunted, kicking at the door, leaving behind a series of dents. "Let me outta here now!" The unsettling silence ensured her that she was now alone. Defeated, the high-schooler sat on the comfy bed, her head in her hands, thinking on how to escape from such a plight. The mattress offered a temporary relief to her bruised body. Her green eyes slowly turned to the oversized box in the corner of the room.

"Huh…" She slid to the box and got down on one knee. The swinging top made Wendy use both hands to open it wide. She peered into the darkness, and grinned at the treasures inside. "Whoa-ho-ho! Jackpot!"

Using a mother's touch, Wendy retrieved a metal-braced crossbow from the box. The last time she had held such a weapon was during the battles of Weirdmageddon back home. After placed it down on the bed behind her, Wendy located a small quiver filled to the brim with iron bolts. "Kickin'!" She strapped it around her left shoulder. "Hope there's more goodies in this thing…"

Wendy left her other knee fall to the ground as she leaned in deeper. Her fingertips came across something smooth, yet tightly wrapped. She took hold and brought the item to view. It was a short blade held inside a protective sheath.

"Well, you're nothing like my axe," Wendy attached the holder to her right leg, just below the knee. "But I think you'll do nicely…"

She continued her search in the item box, finding nothing else but a small rounded object. Wendy narrowed her sights in the given light coming from overhead, attempting to read the faded label.

 _"Ink…ribbon?"_ The confused explorer scanned the night table, spotting an old-fashion typewriter layered with dust. Wendy carelessly tossed the container over her shoulder and shut the box. "The heck am I going to do with that thing? Type out my feelings? _It's not like it can save my life or anything._ " She spotted a shiny article sticking out from beneath the typewriter. "Hello. What's this?"

Wendy tilted the typewriter upwards, finding a metal paperclip underneath. With it in hand, she went back to the bed and began to twist and straighten the clip. "C'mon, c'mon, almost there…AHA!"

She had successfully turned the piece of forgotten office equipment into a makeshift lock pick.

With the crossbow hoisted over her back, Wendy knelt in front of the door and entered the bent paper clip. She kept one eye open as she waggled the piece, hoping to snag the lock's mechanism. "That's it, baby. Open for mama…"

*CLICK!*

"Yes!"

Hiding the new lock pick in her hair, Wendy threw the door open and rushed back into the courtyard, finding it completely empty. She looked around, finding a closed gate on one side of the square, and a looming, decaying structure on the other – the very same that her supernatural aggressor vanished behind.

"I'm going to take a guess…" Wendy armed herself, loading an arrow into the crossbow's hold. "And say that G.I. Joe followed "tall, dark, and gruesome" inside. Guess that's my next stop, too."

*YIPE!*

Wendy hesitated. She went towards the gate's entrance, and pushed against it, finding it sealed shut. "That's strange. I could have sworn to hear something yelp…"

*YIPE!*

Once more, the girl heard the pained cry and rolled around on her heels towards it. She held her crossbow tight, taking aiming at a new figure sitting in the center of her path. A black-furred Doberman rested in the road, its head lowered against its shivering body. Wendy could hear its heartbreaking whines beneath its self-enclosure. Its scrawny size told the survivalist that the animal hadn't been cared for a long period of time.

"Poor little guy…" Wendy lowered her bow. "Heaven only knows what you've been through out here. I should know. I've been here for about five minutes and everyone seems to want to kick my butt up." She went to pet the dog's brow, as it turned towards her hand, exposing its face.

Wendy immediately backpedaled. The feeling of nausea bubbled in the pit of her stomach. "Oh, my – "

 _The dog was missing the right side of its face._ Bone and withered muscle served in place of its skin. Its eyes had turned a mixture of glassy blue and white. A horrid gash traveled down its waist, as a cracked ribcage and discolored organs poked out. Wendy held a hand over her mouth, not wanting to let out a peep. It wasn't as if she didn't come across such violence back in the Gravity Falls Woods, especially when traveling with her father. It was the fact that the dog was still moving about that struck the usually-cool headed huntress with terror.

 _By all accounts, with such injures, the poor dog should be dead._

*GRRR!*

As though it could sense Wendy's fright, the dog growled loudly. It raised its deformed head and rose up on all fours, barking crazily at her every move. Wendy used a hand to try to calm it, as her other gradually elevated the crossbow upwards. "Easy, fella. Easy does it…"

The Doberman stood even firmer and snarled at its would-be-rescuer. It darted towards Wendy. Caught off-guard, she fired the crossbow in reflex, missing her mark by a long shot. The dog pounced on Wendy's chest with all fours, bringing her crashing to the ground. She smacked her head against the hard cement, as the beast pinned her down, and lounged for her neck.

Wendy raised her left arm, placing it under the dog's drooling jaws, preventing it from clamping down on her. The stench of decayed flesh filled her nostrils. From the corner of her eye, Wendy spotted her crossbow on the ground, well out of her reach. The dog became more frantic and vicious with every passing second. With her free hand, she reached down her leg and pulled the knife out of its hoister. With one fell swoop, Wendy slashed at the dog, knocking it off her.

As Wendy staggered upward, setting her knife back into the bracket, the Doberman remained curled in a ball some feet away; its body shook in gentle convolutions as she reclaimed her crossbow. "Sorry, puppers. Nothing personal. I swear." She walked past the fallen animal and towards the large complex as a loud howl filled the night. Wendy looked behind her to see that the dog was up and about, like nothing had happened.

 _"There's…there's no way! How could it be standing?"_

*AWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO!*

The Doberman threw its head up again, releasing another wounded holler. A moment later, Wendy could hear something moving about in the shrubbery outside of the fencing. She switched her aim between the two sets of hedges, as multiple shadowy shapes roamed at an alarming speed.

 _"What's going on? What are those things?"_

All at once, they leapt over the fences within single bounds. Wendy was now invaded by a pack of six decayed dogs, each missing more features and skin than the last. They circled around their fallen comrade, growling in sync to intimidate their much larger target.

 _"Ah, crap…"_ Wendy quickly peered behind her, seeing that the entrance to the complex wasn't too far away. She thought the scenario over in her head again and again in the matter of mere seconds. Now confident, she nodded, daring enough to flash a beam in the face of utter danger.

 _"Yeah. I can do this…"_

She turned a full 180 degrees and raced towards the last door. Wendy didn't have to look to find out how far behind the dogs were. She could hear their paws pound the pavement just behind her own footfalls. The savage chorus of barks and snarls grew closer with every passing step. Wendy took a hold of the door's handle, as the pack leader flew into the air. Still griping the rod, she dodged to the left, watching as the wild animal crashed into the steel with a sickening splat. With the grace of a ballerina, Wendy swung back around, dodging the rest of the pack, hopped inside of the building, and shut the door behind her.

Exhausted, the lumberjack princess slumped against the safety of the sturdy door. The scrapes and bangs from outside did little to subtract from her nerves. After a few moments, the noise stopped as the dogs could be heard scampering off towards new interests. Wendy let out a sigh of relief.

She looked up, seeing that the complex was actually some sort of corporate building. A filthy, dirt-stained linoleum flooring split into two different paths. A path to the east led to a set of private corner offices. A dimly-lit, dangling bulb flicked on and off randomly. The ground beneath it was tarnished with streaks of red.

 _"Okay,"_ Wendy itched her arm before adding a new arrow to her crossbow. _"We'll put the creepy dank hall in the "maybe" pile. Let's try the other way first."_

She headed west across a long hallway. Its bluish-green paint was cracked and stripped bare in several parts, making Wendy wonder if the dogs that trailed her had made it inside recently. Around the corner, a retractable metal grate was built into the leftmost wall. It reminded Wendy of a loading dock at the back of a grocery store. The wiring attached to the door led to a large red button mounted to the right. She tapped the switch with her hand, receiving no response. Wendy noticed a tiny bulb above the button devoid of any power.

 _"Out of order, I guess?"_

Wendy turned to her right, noticing that the chipped paint had been replaced with a long window that stretched across the remainder of the wall. Standing on her tip-toes, the curious cashier tried to peek into the room. Almost all of the lighting had been shut off, leaving an uneasy, overlapping dark that added depth to the room's many nooks and crannies. However, Wendy made out the shapes of numerous tables and chairs. From what she could guess, the area could have been used as a meeting room once.

As Wendy tried to get a better look into the room, her view became obstructed by what appeared to be red handprints smeared across the glass. The blurs made it look like someone had tried to do break through.

The uneasy sight made Wendy gulp with nervousness. _"I really, really hope that isn't blood."_

The prints had been dragged across the dusty glass, leading off to the far left. Wendy went along at a steady pace, questioning if someone on the other side was signaling for help, or had she witnessed the remains of a failed escape attempt?

A pair of wooden double doors awaited the girl at the end of the corridor, as well as another corner. The doorknobs were wrapped in heavy iron chains and held together with a padlock. Wendy moaned with annoyance, rolling her eyes, and going down to one knee to get to work. She took her new lockpick from her hair. _"This better not become a recurring theme here…"_

*SQUISH!*

Wendy looked up from her current task. _"…hell was that?"_ Choosing to ignore the random sound, she went on with the lock, twisting her bent paper clip to every possible angle within the enclosure. _"Almost…got…'em…"_

*SQUISH!*

*CLICK!*

The noise returned, only much louder. Wendy didn't even notice as the padlock gave away and the chains slid from the doorway. She took to her feet; her long arms now clutched around her crossbow were forced to a firm tenseness. The abnormal squishing came from around the corner, growing softer and softer with every pulse.

Taking a deep inhale, Wendy held her body against the bend, slithering out from cover with weapon at the ready. She stopped, raising the bow upwards at what waited at the end of the hall.

There was a lone individual on their hands and knees in front of the dead end. Their head was tucked down between its trembling body. Their clothing, a mere lab coat and dark brown slacks, was torn at several places and completely wrinkled.

"Hey…" The heartened rescuer took a step forward, offering an open hand towards the fallen discovery. "You alright there? You need a hand-d-d-d…"

Wendy's voice dried up upon seeing what lied past the bizarre being. A literal blob of jelly had been stretched out across the floor, ripped apart piece by piece in a cruel fashion. The traces of tattered apparel revealed to her the awful truth:

 _"It's…a person! Or was a person…"_

The unknown being bowed its head towards the gooey mess and feasted upon it. Another sequence of squishes could be heard between the faint sound of mashing jaws and gnawing teeth. A loose liquid traveled from the pile and into the flooring.

 _Suddenly, seeing Chadley having his face eaten didn't seem so funny anymore._

"Brr…" Wendy covered her mouth, as she burped with queasiness. She turned her head, "I –I'm gonna be sick…"

*GAH?!*

Wendy turned as the being lifted its head. Her cry had alerted the monstrosity to her presence. Its skull was bare, except for a couple of curled hairs on the back of the neck. The skin was a putrid lime green. It turned to her, drooling red flowing from a misaligned jaw filled with broken, jagged teeth. The peak of the nose had been broken off, leaving a blackened nub. The rotten flesh barely stuck to its poked-out cheek bones. The soulless sky blue eyes stared daggers at the lanky morsel.

 _"It has the same eyes as those dogs…"_

With its next meal at hand, the zombie rose up to a standing position, stumbling around until it found Wendy. It dragged itself with outstretched arms, as it mumbled a blend of unintelligible gibberish and painful moaning.

"Back off, man!" Wendy demanded, pointing the crossbow at the monster's chest. "I'm warning you…" And yet, it was getting harder to keep her hands steady. The creature was way beyond the cartoonish demons that chased after her in previous worlds. The cheesy undead, complete with costume-zippers showing on-screen, that she and Dipper laughed at during their movie marathons paled in comparison to the disgusting horror approaching. Its decaying musk filled the closed-off atmosphere. The unnatural sounds being emitted from its abysmal hole were the stuff of nightmares.

The threat facing Wendy stood out the most because it seemed _real_. Her heart nearly pounded out of her chest; the same way it did during the few times she got lost in the Gravity Falls Woods as a child, knowing that a wild animal could attack at any given time.

The zombie drew closer as Wendy's nerves hit their limit. For good or bad, when push came to shove, such instances would force her to take action, sometimes by involuntary measures.

*THUNK!*

Wendy watched as the arrow pierced the zombie's chest, knocking it against the wall. It became motionless, drooped down on the floor. However, its unrelenting, blank gaze followed its redheaded slayer, even past a second death.

Glancing down at the weapon in her hand, Wendy realized, "I don't even remember pulling the trigger." Looking past the zombie's victim, she observed some type of switch hidden in the shadows. Moving carefully, Wendy stepped over both corpses and read the label plastered beneath.

"POWER TO FRONT SHUTTER"

"Finally!" Wendy flicked the switch, hopping away as it gave out a quick spark. All of a sudden, the lights became brighter from above. The hallway had become completely illuminated. Something sparkled on the ground near Wendy's booted feet. The casualty's hand held a copper key with an unique crest on its handle. She wrestled it from the tightly-gripped fingers. "I'll…be…taking…this!"

With key in hand, Wendy rounded the corner, remembering the now-opened office. "Maybe I have time to time to poke around and – "

*GARRRRRRRRRR!*

She looked down the hall, seeing that the zombie had somehow revived. Its body twitched, with arrow implanted in dead center, attempting to make it upright.

"Ah, screw this!" Wendy ran to the steel door and slammed her fist against the red-lit control panel. The shutter quaked and jolted as it retracted into the ceiling. Wendy continuously looked back and forth between the scaling door and behind her, ensuring to keep her distance from the zombie down the hall. "The sooner I'm out of this hellhole, the better I'll – "

*MAH!*

*BRAH!*

*GARH!*

Wendy never had time to react; it was already too late. The sliding door exposed numerous legs shuffling mindlessly. At mid-range, innumerable hands reached out for the freckled mark. Once the door was fully drawn, over a dozen cloudy eyes fixated solely on Wendy.

The mass traveled as one, and yet, teetered in different directions with each step. Yet, the scent of a fresh meal bought them back from a strayed path. Their mouths opened slightly to screech and wail, showing off razor-sharp teeth with torn meat and hardened blood in between. Their bodies flinched and limped on with broken appendages and joints knocked out of socket.

Wendy looked for an escape. As she always bragged to Dipper during their movie binges, one could literally power-walk from the undead. But this group had been packed shoulder to shoulder across the hall. There was no way to slide between to safety.

She retreated from the legion of the dead, pulling another bolt from the quiver. Wendy wasn't sure if there were enough arrows to take on the entire cluster. The expert markswoman rapidly switched between potential targets, unsure of where to start off.

 _"C'mon, creeps…"_ Wendy closed an eye, holding the bow even closer. _"Just give me a reason. Who wants to go first? WHAT THE - ?"_

Wendy couldn't move her right foot. Something had clamped around her ankle, holding her in place. She glimpsed down, seeing that the fallen zombie from around the corner had caught up to her. Due to its damaged body, it had crawled down the hallway, with arrow still in its chest, and wrapped itself around her boot, scraping and chomping against the thick leather.

"Get off! Get off – " She kicked, trying to break free of its hold. Wendy glanced up, seeing that the decomposing posse was getting closer by the second. Frustrated, she switched her balance to her trapped foot, and threw her other boot through the monster's head. It cracked open like a decaying pumpkin, oozing green and yellow, crinkling away into a merger of dust and firth.

 _"Ew…"_

A random zombie lunged towards Wendy with arms wide open with unusual speed. It snatched her right arm, nearly dragging down to the floor among with it. She cocked her body, attempting to slip out of its grasp while maintaining holding on her crossbow. "Lemme go!" With her free hand, Wendy tried to line up the sights of her weapon with the threat, but the constant shaking, caused by the both of them, made it impossible.

The rest of the crowd was mere feet away. As she continued to wrestle to free her arm, Wendy switched her aim towards the upcoming mass. The crossbow shook endlessly. _"Who do I shoot? What do I do?!"_

Unexpectedly, two hands roughly grabbed Wendy by her jacket. They yanked her free from the zombie's grip, driving her back with enough force that she tripped over her own feet. Her side view was a complete blur. The same force shoved her forward and into the opened office. Wendy grabbed her head, to stop the world from spinning, seeing that a green colored garble was barricading the double doors with a gigantic library shelf. The pounding of the zombies outside echoed across her throbbing head.

 _"Man, kid. You must really have some sort of death wish, don't you?"_

Wendy blinked to clear her vision. She now stood in front of the unnerved soldier that had saved her from the man with the dark glasses in the courtyard. He stood with his hands on his hips and a sense of infuriation above him.

"You?!" Wendy asked, as her balance slowly returned. "What are you doing here?"

"Funny." He quipped with sarcasm. "I was about to ask you the same thing. How the hell did you get out of that room?"

Wendy grinned, "The same way I broke the lock on this place…" She pulled her lockpick from her hair and displayed it proudly. "With this!"

The man slapped his forehead with dismay. "That's all I need. Another "Master of Unlocking" on my hands…"

Wendy raised an eyebrow. "A what?"

"Never mind that." He stormed up to Wendy, wagging a finger in her face. "You ever think maybe there was a reason I left you in there? If I didn't find you out there, you would have ended up as monster chow!"

Wendy slapped his hand away, "Get outta my face, alright?! You didn't leave me any choice! I couldn't just sit there while – " She froze, noting a strange mark on her right arm. "Oh, no…"

The soldier's tone changed, seeing that the ginger's face turned white. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nonononono…" Wendy fell back into a nearby chair, resting her body against the weight of a rounded wooden table. Placing her bent elbow down, she couldn't turn away from her arm. She opened and closed her green eyes, hoping that the discovery would simply disappear.

 _On the center of her right arm, Wendy found a well-rounded cut that resembled a bite mark._

The horror-fan had seen enough movies to know what was going to happen next. All of her aches and bruises played games with her mind. The throbbing in her arm grew stronger with every passing instant. She felt trapped, knowing that there was nothing she could do to prevent what would happen next.

 _She was doomed. Dipper was doomed._

 _"Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man…"_

A large shadow shaded her from the office's lights. The solider looked over her with pity. Remaining silent, he reached down into the holdings near his waist, where his weapon was held.

Wendy shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see her eventual end play out. She understood that trying to flee, crying or screaming, or even fighting back would only end in the same way. Now, in darkness, she hung her head, sunk into the chair, and pleaded. "Look, man. I know – I know what's coming next, and I – I get it. You gotta do this. But please. Find my buddy, Dipper. He might be somewhere in this place, and I – I don't want him to end up like me, okay?"

She could sense the man's hand set in front of her. Wendy tightened her face, clutching her left fingers around the chair's rests.

*ZZZZZZZZZ!*

"Wha – "

Wendy opened her eyes, hearing the sound of aerosol instead of that of a firearm. A long, silver cylinder labeled with a red cross like a First-Aid Kit, was held over her elevated arm, releasing a light green spray into her wound. At first, the substance caused the bite to burn, turning into a gentle numbness. Wendy marveled as the injury nearly healed by the time the container had been emptied.

"How the – "

For the first time, the soldier offered a warm beam. He rattled the tin, making sure it was empty, ditching it in a close-by garbage can. "I believe the words you're looking for are, "thank you.""

"Oh, yeah. Thanks for the save. Both of them! But I – I mean…" Wendy hopped up with a bound of renewed energy. "I feel great! Like a new woman even!" She pointed to the trash. "What was that stuff? It was like a miracle worker or something!"

The man's cockiness soon came back, "Would you believe from the same corporation that turned all those people into those freaks?"

"What?" Wendy held her arms behind her on the table. "You mean they were _real_ people? "

"Yes…" He said with a hint of regret. "Every last one of them. The majority are innocents unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The rest are some responsible for this tragedy, and ended up being caught in the crossfire."

"The crossfire of _what_ , exactly?"

The soldier stopped in his tracks, "Chemical warfare. _Living biohazards_. A secret virus created by a pharmaceutical company to be the ultimate weapon. It brings the host to the point of death, reviving them into a mindless, cannibalistic state."

"Whoa…" Wendy was taken back by the explanation. "That's a new one. I've heard of radioactive zombies and ones made from voodoo, but I don't think I've seen a movie where they come from a flu bug."

"Oh, it gets worse." The man elaborated further. "Like the flu, this virus evolves into stronger strains, and along with it – "

"Comes stronger monsters!" Wendy finished. "Like those mangy mutts outside!"

"You got it. And believe me, some of the things lurking about are way worse than anything you'd ever seen in a cheesy movie, kid."

Wendy frowned. For some reason, the constant references to her age made her think of when she first invited Dipper to hang out with her; of how part of him seemed to die every time she'd bring up that particular topic.

The soldier could sense the uneasiness stemming. "Y'know. I never got around to getting your name."

She was slow to respond. "It's Wendy. And what do your friends call you?"

He chuckled, pounding an emblem sown into his vest, a blue and white circle surrounding yellow stars. "They call me "Captain.""

"Okay, then, Cap. One last question for ya. Where does your buddy in the black suit fit in?"

Cap's face instantly soured. "Believe me: _that man is no friend of mine_."

"Bad blood, huh? So, what's the magic man's story?"

He turned away from Wendy, gazing up at the moonlight shining from the outside window. "He was once my commanding supervisor…and a trusted ally. When we first encountered these… _biohazards_ , it was unlike anything we'd encountered. I lost several of my comrades…and friends."

"Geez. I'm so sorry."

"At the end of it, my partner and I discovered that our boss had led us to our deaths. He cut a deal with the sadists of the medical companies, wanting to test their freaks against some of the country's best. When it was all said and done, that madman escaped with the research, snubbing his former employers and selling his best, err, _findings_ , to the highest bidder."

"His findings? You mean that he made his own monsters?"

"Yep. Behind his hardened exterior, lies a demented mind with a god complex."

"I take it Dr. Frankenstein gave himself those super powers then?"

"A refined version of the virus: one that enhances the human body instead of decaying it. He ended up being forced to use it on himself when one of his own creations turned on him."

"Well, isn't he a lucky duck. Saving the good stuff for himself." Wendy flashed back to their encounter in the courtyard, the ominous threat sent shivers down her spine:

 _"Struggle as you like. When you awake, you'll be in a much better place."_

A horrific thought entered Wendy's head. "Hey, Cap? What are the odds that Mr. Wonderful has a monster-making lab hidden away in this place?"

Cap shifted his shoulders, "Considering that there's a surplus of ghoulies crawling out of every crevice, I'd say there's a good chance."

"Uh-huh. And I'll guess that our guy isn't above using small children for his experiments. Am I right?"

"Probably not."

Wendy jumped up from her resting spot on the table's edge. "Then, we don't have a second to spare. Let's get to it already!"

Cap appeared surprised by her outburst. He held out his hands to stop her. "Now, hold on, k – I mean, Wendy. We're not even sure if there's a place to head to yet. Haven't you learned anything about jumping into dangerous situations with both feet without planning ahead?"

"I – " Wendy grew angry, taking a breath to calm herself. "You're right. But you have to understand. It's like this: you said you have a partner, right? Well, _my partner_ is lost out there somewhere, and it's kinda my fault. And if that ex-boss of yours has him…I mean, if your partner was in trouble, wouldn't you do anything to save him?"

 _"…her…"_

"What?" Wendy barely heard the somber whisper escape from the rock-hand front.

Cap spoke up, his voice lighting up, "My partner is actually a " _she_." Had my back through since this nightmare started years ago. That was until our last encounter with… _him_. I was on the ropes and she – " He closed his eyes as he drifted off. "The next thing I knew, both of them were gone."

Wendy watched Cap tighten his fists. "I know that she's still alive. I can't prove it, but if he's here…" He met her eye-to-eye. "That's why I wanted you out of the way, Wendy. There have been too many victims in this war of ours, and I didn't want you to be another casualty."

She tapped his shoulder, "Well, no offense, chief, we're way beyond that now. The way I see it, we're in the same boat. We're each missing someone we care about, and chances are that weirdo in the shades has something to do about it. Separate, he'll mop the floor with us, but we could beat him if we work together."

Wendy offered the jarhead her open hand. "So, what'dya say?"

He hesitated for a moment, and then he threw a gloved hand into hers.

"You have yourself a deal." He laughed, "Besides, I have a feeling that there's no way I can ditch you again, can I?"

Wendy smiled and shook on it. "Not a chance, bucko."

"With that said, we have to figure out how to get out of this mess. We have zombies surrounding us at every exit."

The overly-tall teenager walked over to the window. She hadn't noticed that the undead had ceased their battering on the barricaded doors. She balanced on the balls of her feet, seeing that the horde had calmed, faltering about in wait of their next meal.

"Yeah, they've got the place covered." She walked back to the center of the office. "Too bad there isn't a secret passage outta here." Cap didn't respond. Instead, he was focused on an old-fashioned baby grand piano mounted into the northern wall. Its black surface had gone lost its shine ages ago.

"Lemme guess…" Wendy approached from the other side, running her fingers across its filthy top. "Magic piano?"

"No," Cap shook his head. "It's not that. That secret passage you mentioned? That company likes to hide riddles and crap like that in ordinary, everyday stuff like this."

"What sick puppies. Hang a sec." The clerk spotted that its ivory keys were wiped clean. "The piano keys don't have a lick of dust on them. Someone definitely used this guy lately."

"Hmm…" Cap fiddled with a set of random keys, producing a sour note from the piano. He looked at Wendy. "By chance, do you know how to play the _Moonlight Sonata_?"

She stood in front of the piano and rubbed her chin. "Nope. But I do know the _Four-Digit-KA-POW_."

"The what?"

Wendy curved her body back and threw a boot into the front of the piano, cracking it down the center. Cap called out from behind her, "What do you think you're doing?!"

She bent down and began to fumble through the broken instrument. "Taking a cue from my buddy. He's the kinda guy that works smarter, not harder…" Wendy strained, digging her hands into the wreckage until she came up with a tangled bunch of wiring. She tested a sample of loose ends together before moving on the next; a familiar sequence that reminded her of hot-wiring a car's ignition.

A musical jingle came forth from the broken instrument, making Wendy rush upwards. The piano slid to its right, as on rails, without as much as a squeak. A new opening leading underground had been revealed. A series of cracked concrete steps were made visible by a glimmer of light coming from the unknown.

Cap was left astonished by the display he had witnessed. "Well, how about that?" He gave Wendy a congratulatory pat on the back as he hurried past her. With pistol raised, Cap went down the stairs, stopping halfway. He looked over his shoulder at the girl. "Well, aren't you coming? I still need someone to cover me."

Wendy nodded, realigning her loaded crossbow. She was somewhat unprepared for his sudden change in demeanor.

"Whatever you say… _partner_."

* * *

Wendy and Cap had come across a long, yet darkened pathway illuminated by a network of glass paneled cells. Oddly enough, there wasn't any structures or signs of living to be found in any of the rooms, save for the shielded lights fixed in the ceiling.

"It's so creepy…" She stopped to take a closer look into a random cell. "It's kinda like a weird underground zoo, except there's no food or bedding or even places to use the bathroom."

"That's because they're examination prisons." Cap explained. "These areas are means for the corporation to watch as infected humans de-evolve into murderous abominations."

"You know, I never asked: what else is out there besides the zombified people and dogs?"

His eyes narrowed, seeing into one of the holds. "Looks like you'll find out soon enough…"

Wendy caught up with Cap, following along as he stared into the sturdy glass. At the back of the room, a cast-steel grate had been tossed into the center of the floor. Large and deep claw marks had been left across the now-opened vent leading into the outside world.

"Oh, that can't be good. What could have – "

Her words were cut off as Cap swiftly covered Wendy's mouth. "MMY! MAT MHE – "

He held a finger against his lips, slowly pointing towards the ceiling. Her green eyes followed, growing wider after seeing the ghastly image clinging to the roof above them.

 _A demented creature crawled along the top of the passageway. Sharpened claws, attached to paw-like webbed hands and feet, created several gashes as it traveled about. Its exposed pink muscles spasmed and contracted with every movement, producing repulsive sounds throughout its skinless body. Its head arced, showing off an uncovered, pulsating grayish brain. A set of wrinkled brown flesh stemmed down its face in lieu of eyes, leading to a cavernous opened mouth filled with spikey teeth._

 _The animal let out a deep roar, showering the two adventurers below with a barrage of odorous saliva. Its enormous tongue, spanning out to nearly three feet, maneuvered past the air, stopping short of Wendy's face. She gasped into Cap's hand as the tongue slowly went back into its maw._

The calmed warrior leaned in closer to Wendy's ear and lightly whispered, "Keep your cool. That's what they call a "licker." Those claws are strong enough to tear your head clean off your shoulders. Its lack of eyes makes it reliant on its sense of sound. So, whatever you do, make it as quiet as possible…"

She bobbed her head. Together, they crept inch-by-inch down the hall, not as much as leaving a footfall behind. The licker spun its head around, unable to sense that anything was amiss beneath it. Wendy took aim with her crossbow, as Cap forced it downward. He whisked his hand across his neck several times until she rested her stance. As they crept on at a turtle's pace, the mutant lost interest in the site, as it went on with its patrol, scaling on towards the staircase.

Cap and Wendy reached a new bend in the labyrinth. She turned to her cohort for a split second, "Thank heavens that's – "

Wendy paused in mid-step as another licker stood in the center of their path. Shards of broken glass trailed behind it, hinting that it had escaped from one of the cells built into the walls. It twisted its malformed body towards them, dropping down on all fours and stomping on at rapid speed. Cap held his arm outwards and threw himself back against the bordering wall, taking Wendy along with him. Following his example, the ginger held her breath, flattening her frame as much as possible.

The licker scuttled by, stopping right in front of Wendy. Cap's bicep, set just below her chin, anxiously tighten. Not daring to move a muscle, she closed her eyes tight and held her head upwards as the monstrosity drew nearer. In the dark, beads of sweat traveled down Wendy's brow, growing cold against the licker's hot breath only inches away.

The heat yielded an instance later. Wendy looked to see that the horror had vanished around the corner. It was when Cap finally relaxed his arm did the teen let out a deep, but noiseless exhale. The two shared a look, keeping their silence until the danger had truly passed. They continued on the road, making sure to avoid stepping on the shattered glass and alerting their pursuers. A bright light awaited them at the end of the tunnel.

The duo had come across a kind of shipping elevator. A large amount of metal containers and wooden crates were stacked alongside the left and right walls. Yellow arrows had been painted into the slick floor, leading into dual steel doors. Cap went first, going straight to the elevator's controls. He took hold of a large switch, finding that it wouldn't respond no matter how much he pulled down on it.

Wendy walked up, "It's dead?"

"Not exactly." He pointed at the controls, highlighting an unusual opening in the center. "It looks there's a special mechanism to get this thing going."

"So, the plan is…?"

"The plan…" He double-checked the clip in his pistol, snapping it into place. "Is to backtrack the way we came and hope we find something."

"You mean, go back past those things? That's suicide!"

"Do you have a better idea?"

Wendy didn't have anything to say. With a grim sense washed over him, Cap readied himself to return to the dark hallway. "You can wait here if you want. I wouldn't blame you. But the reality of the situation is that we need that key in order to move on."

" _Key?!"_ Wendy turned around and re-examined the control console. A familiar mark had been set just about the mysterious hole. She searched her jean pockets and brought out the key she had found earlier. Wendy flipped itself upside down and compared its handle to that of the symbol on the controller.

It was an exact match!

"Cap, wait!" The girl ran and grabbed the man by the shoulder. "I have it! I have the key!"

"What?!"

Wendy held out the key, "Check it out for yourself. The weird emblem on it matches the one on the wall. That's got to be it, right?"

Cap took the key from Wendy and held it in his palms, checking the find from every angle. "How – Where did you find this?"

"Upstairs." Wendy clarified. "One of the corpses was hanging on to it. For some reason, it just stood out to me, so I thought it had to be something important."

"Good call!" Cap congratulated, going back to the elevator. "That's some fine detective work if I can say so myself."

Wendy blushed, not from the compliment itself, but because it reminded her of Dipper. The soldier entered the key, finding that it fit into the control panel perfectly. He looked at Wendy for an instance before twisting the handle.

*BA-RING!*

With a soft beep, the various lights and dials on the panel sprung to life. Cap tried the switch again, easily sliding it down into a lowered position. Wendy beamed as the wall slightly shook. The elevator was coming down!

"Phew!" She sighed. "I can't wait to get outta here. The farther away from those "inside-out" freaks, the better!"

Cap snickered, "Preach, sister."

There was a shared silence until Wendy curiously asked, "That's the second time you mentioned that. Do I really remind you of your sister?"

"Oh, yeah. I mean, you aren't exactly twins, but it's the little things…"

"Like?"

"The steadfast attitude. The overall boldness, especially how you both turn a blind eye to danger when you have your mind set on a certain goal. In fact, from the moment I met you, I thought the very same thing I always think of my kid sister…"

"And that is?"

He returned the toothy grin, " _Somehow, someway,_ _that girl is going to be the death of me_."

"Well, gee, thanks."

*EEEOOOEEEOOO!*

A network of red and blue sirens erupted at the top of the elevator shaft, emitting a blaring, ear-grating siren.

Wendy winced at the irritating sound, going as far to cover an ear with her free hand. "What is that?"

She looked up to see that Cap stood with the same pose. He yelled back, "It's a safety alarm. It's to make sure that there aren't any accidents during loading and receiving."

"That's…good news. Sorta."

"Well, are you ready for the bad news?"

"There's bad news?"

"Chances are, _they_ probably heard it too…"

*RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRR!*

Wendy spun around to see shadows slither out of the darkness down the lengthy hallway. One by one, the skinless monsters came forth, following the alarm's trail straight to the elevator's path.

"The elevator's not even halfway down!" The redhead exclaimed. "What do we do?"

Cap steadied his breathing as he centered his pistol. "Whatever it takes until that elevator arrives. Wait until you see the white in their eyes!"

"I thought they don't have eyes!"

"You know what I mean!"

The first licker scurried out from the hall, as Cap took his shot. It squealed in agony, as the blast knocked it back into the darkness. As Wendy carefully watched the road in front of her, she could hear a low-keyed growl to the right. Another licker had attached itself to the stack of wooden crates. It bellowed quietly, motioning towards the girl with jaws unhinged.

"Ugh!" Without thinking twice, Wendy delivered a roundhouse kick to the box stacks, sending them crashing down in a domino effect, crushing the menace beneath the heavy mass. The mess inadvertently created a barrier across the entrance of the hall.

"Nice going!" Cap congratulated. "We needed some distance here."

"Wasn't trying, but thanks!"

*CRASH!*

A set of curved claws abruptly burst from the bottom of the center crate. Its contents were emptied across the floor amongst the splinters and sawdust. Revived, the creature torn its way upwards, and snarled at Wendy.

*THUNK!*

Her arrow pierced the licker's neck, whiplashing its body back into the smoothed flooring with a smack. Wendy could no longer hear it struggle for freedom. While loading a new arrow, she went to make confirmation of the fallen foe. The tip of her boot came into contact with something solid. It was a metallic object that reminded Wendy of a rifle; the stock was custom made from finely sanded wood, and yet the barrel was much wider than that of a shotgun. Strangest of all, the action of the weapon was see-through, containing a small canister filled with an unknown red chemical.

The curious teen tucked her crossbow behind her back and flicked the item upwards with her left foot, seizing it as it fell back to earth. She held it closer, "The heck is this thing?"

 _"A grenade launcher!"_ Cap reloaded his trusty firearm. "Light 'em up!"

The crushed licker had yanked its way to freedom, resting back on top of the hurdle, releasing a menacing shriek as it prepared to pounce forward.

Wendy clicked the capsule chamber shut. "My pleasure…" She gently squeezed the trigger, the volt of the release forcing her backwards somewhat. The canister ignited upon impact, discharging flaming napalm upon both its target and the wood structure behind it.

*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHH!*

The demonic mutant thrashed about in its death throes as the wall of fire promptly swallowed it up. "That was…" With a sense of amazement, Wendy proudly patted her new toy. "I think I'm in love."

"Good for you, but keep it comin'! There are more rounds on the floor!"

Wendy glanced down at her feet, seeing that dozens of the red capsules had been scattered across the floor. As she went to pick one up, a red line shot down from the ceiling and wrapped around her right ankle.

"What – AH!"

The cord drew back, yanking Wendy off her feet. She landed square on the crossbow attached to her back, its ridges digging into the soft flesh beneath. In her daze, the teen found a licker hanging from the ceiling just above the flaming wreckage. It had lassoed its extensive tongue above Wendy's foot, slowly dragging her across the ground and towards the raging fire.

 _"Damndamndamn!"_ In her panic, Wendy dug her remaining heel into the ground to try to slow her descent. The slickness of the flooring did little to help her cause. With the grenade launcher in her left hand, Wendy tried to pull the tongue off her leg, only to recoil in pain a second later. "YEOW!" She waved her hand to ease the string. "It's all spiky and stuff; almost like touching barbed wire without gloves."

The essence of the rising heat reached Wendy's jeaned legs. Mere seconds remained before she would be burned to a crisp. The sparkle of the capsules caught her green eyes. There was one chance left to escape.

With a thrust, Wendy flipped onto her side. With weapon tucked against her chest, she stretched out towards the nearest flame round, finding that it was just out of reach. Determined, Wendy tensed her body even further towards her goal. She winced as the prickly knot tore deeper into her ankle. Her bottom of her other foot soon felt the fire's effect.

 _"Kid!"_

Wendy caught sight of a shining object flying through the air. It snipped the tongue across the center, its owner howled in anguish as the remainder withdrew. The other half melted off Wendy's now-relaxed leg. Realizing what had happened, she gazed at her own knife sheath and pondered, _"Why didn't I think of that?"_

*REEEEEE!*

"Watch out!"

The wounded licker flew from the ceiling, tackling Wendy back to the ground. It screamed aloud, raising a clawed hand into the air. The restrained girl reached for the handle of her own blade, pulling it out, and jamming it deep into the beast's chest. It froze in place without any response, evaporating into a discharge of red powder.

" _Geez!"_ Wendy coughed, swatting the dust away. A blue glow came from the spot where the licker once stood. A red heart-shaped gem was found on the floor, ripe for the taking.

 _"Don't mind if I do…"_

*BEEP!*

"C'mon! It's here!"

"Hey!"

Wendy was pulled back to her feet and back towards the opened elevator. She turned towards Cap. "But the thingie – "

"Screw it! It's not worth your life!"

The pair rushed into the elevated platform as Cap punched the button to go to the next floor. Still recovering, Wendy rested against the back wall, holding herself upwards with the welded silver bar, taking deep breaths as the metal gates closed on their pursuing foes.

*SRIK!*

The elevator's doors paused as a set of yellowish claws stopped them from sealing shut. Wendy pushed off the wall bar. Cap held out his arm in a protective manner, ensuring that his charge kept a safe distance.

*SRIK!*

The platform shook as the doors were slowly pried open. Once more, Wendy felt something small tap the edge of her foot. A handful of the red canisters had made it inside of the elevator with them.

 _"Must have happened when we scrambled inside of this thing. Talk about dumb luck…"_

With a gentle touch, Wendy lowered Cap's arm, making him look back towards her. She stooped down to claim a container, inserting it into the top of the launcher. With a *SNAP!*, the cashier walked towards the front of the elevator. She extended her arm, bringing her aim to a perfect standstill. Wendy waited for what felt like an eternity for the doors to reopen.

Holding the elevator open with her arms, a licker stuck its head into the platform. It roared and squawked until it found the barrel of the grenade launcher inches away from its face.

Wendy smiled, "Flame on, sucka!"

*KA-BLAM!*

The monstrosity was blown away by the fiery blast, flying into its counterparts. As the doors closed and locked, the spreading fire came up from beneath the steel. The cries of the ignited experiments rang in their ears until they were well in the air.

Now safe, Cap allowed himself a moment of peace and relaxed against the closest wall. In the meanwhile, Wendy collected the rest of the flame capsules from the floor and shoved them in her jacket's pockets. She could see that the man was giving her a strange look.

"What?"

He shook his head, _"Flame on, sucka?"_

"Yeah. I needed a cool action-movie quote to end on."

The soldier chortled, prompting Wendy to push back. "Well, what would you've said?"

"Honestly? I wouldn't have said anything. I would have just shot the damn thing…"

* * *

The elevator beeped as its doors reopened. Both adventurers took their time exiting the platform, carefully observing the new area before resuming their search. They were now in a futuristic-styled compound with narrow passages. Soft, calming lights reflected off of sanitized white walls with a thinning blue lines leading across the middle. There wasn't a bloodstain or gore mark to be found anywhere. Every side of the halls was filled with see-through sliding doors that opened upon close proximity. Each room contained an uninhibited laboratory or research center that was kept in tip-top conditioning.

"So weird…" Wendy noted, after checking out another room. "It's like right out of an outer space flick. And everything is so clean. The air's actually scented; y' know, instead of smelling like dead people."

"If I were a betting man," Cap shouted from across the way. "This is probably where all those zombies downstairs used to work."

"And I take it that since this place is spotless, "Shades McShades" lured them to the first floor before exposing them to his virus, right?"

"Again with the detective work…"

"I know. It's getting to be a habit, isn't it?"

"Wait. I think we've found it!"

"Found what?" Wendy poked her head down the hall, seeing Cap disappear behind the automated door at the very end. With an annoyed groan, she followed suit after him. "Hold up, will ya?" Wendy sped up, rushing through the opening before the door closed. "Now, that's so damn important that you couldn' t – _dude_ …"

The clerk had walked into a sort of containment system. Countless life-sized pods had been mounted into the curved, bright-blue walls on each side of the room. An unknown chill seemed to follow Wendy around. Additional hulls stood vertically around a makeshift work center. A messy, chalk-smeared blackboard was covered with brain-aching equations and scientific lingo. Next to it, a computer-networking console was attached to a thin wooden table with wheels locked into place. The front of the desk was littered with notebooks filled with inked chicken scratch and mixed up printed reports.

Most disturbing of all, an examination table was set between them. Manacles were set where an individual's wrists, ankles, and neck would be. The surface was grimy and unkempt, covered in splats of every color and markings showing the sign of a define struggle.

Wendy shuddered as she came to a realization: _"This is the mad scientist's lab!"_

The ginger hurried to a nearby tank and wiped away from the frost that accumulated around it. Within, Wendy could make out a zombified figure held in mid-stasis by an unknown clear liquid.

 _"This is where he makes the monsters! But then…"_

In a frenzy, Wendy went up and down, searching each and every pod for her missing friend. She chanted under her breath, pleading to who or whatever could possibly help. _"Please don't be here. Please don't be here."_

For as much as she wanted to find Dipper and finally be done with this electronic nightmare, Wendy could only hope that he hadn't end up as one of these iced experiments. With every disfigured face, missing limb, or sown-together mangled body she uncovered, she wished that her buddy was further away from such a fate – that he would never know the torture brought by the madman's touch as these unfortunate souls had.

 _"Even if these aren't real people, this is all kinds of messed up…"_

One such discovery made Wendy make a closer look. _It was a giant humanoid creature, spanning at least nine feet tall. Half of its body was that of a regular person, save for the bluish skin from being frozen. The left side had been burnt pitch black, leading down to a hand replaced with dagger-like claws that had been melted together._

 _All of its veins had been restructured outside of its blue form, leading down from a hairless scalp to a humongous, still-beating heart in the center of its chest. Goose flesh spread across Wendy's freckled skin as she noticed that its non-mutated fingers jerked ever so slightly._

She turned her back on the unique specimen. "Let's hope that there's a backup generator somewhere. I really don't want this big boy breaking out of the ice any time soon."

"HERE! I KNEW IT ALL ALONG!"

Wendy followed the shouts towards the other end of the room where Cap had stopped in front of a random tube. She reached the man and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Is it him? Did you find him?!"

"Him?" Cap's face fell as he understood Wendy's excitement. "No. I'm – I'm sorry. From what I can see, there are no children in captivity here – only adults."

A warm wave passed over Wendy in spite of the cooled room. She couldn't decide it was a sense of relief, or utter disappointment from knowing she was in the wrong place at the wrong time – _again_.

"Oh, well. Okay, then. I mean, that's – that's good, right? But what's with all of the screaming then?"

Cap motioned forward with his neck. "I found… _her_."

Wendy saw _a young woman in her mid-20s in the same suspended animation as the rest of the tubes. However, this person was still human. There wasn't a change or alternation to be seen. Her eyes were closed, as in a peaceful sleep. The woman's stubby nose and thin lips retained their natural colors; a sign that she was alive. Her long, curvy body was covered a purple-blue jumpsuit that traveled from her shoulders to her knees. Long, ridged boots of the same color encased her feet._

 _Her blonde hair, pulled back into a ponytail, with bangs parted down the middle, had brown roots in several places, suggesting that it had been dyed._

Wendy placed a sympathetic hand on the glass, "That's your partner?"

Cap nodded. He went to work on the control panel stationed below the cylinder. Seeing his changed pace, Wendy questioned. "Uh, no offense, chief, but you do know what you're doing, right?" She looked across the way at the other frozen test subject. "You don't want those other creeps getting loose?"

The soldier didn't respond, instead reaching down for a lever on the side of the console. He pulled on it, turning the natural light within into a red shade. The mysterious liquid started to drain from the pods as gravity took hold of the unconscious body, gently lowering it to the ground. The glass casing let out a small *HISS!* before popping open.

Cap reached inside of the container and scooped his missing companion up in his arms. With a feather's touch, he lowered himself to the ground, making sure to properly give the woman the support she required. He gently shook her, all the while lowering his tone to a whisper.

"Hey, there, lady. It's time to wake up."

The woman's eyelids flickered. Bright blue eyes drew focus on the man inches above them. Her lips slowly parted, as an off-key voice came together.

"Hey…yourself, stranger. It's been a while…hasn't it?"

 _"Years…"_

Without another word uttered, Cap brought his long-lost partner in for a tight embrace. Even from her kept distance, Wendy could have sworn to hear a gentle weeping coming from the hold. She watched as the woman's arm struggled to regain control, convulsing about until control was regained. It gradually rose up, lightly wrapping itself around Cap's back.

"How touching. Even I would hate interrupting such a heartwarming reunion…"

Wendy spun back toward the lab's exit, spotting the villain with the wrap-around shades by the doorway. With his arms crossed, he flashed a defiant, cocky smirk that immediately triggered his emotionally drained rival.

"You did this!" Cap set his friend down and drew his weapon. "You miserable rat – "

*BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!*

He fired round after round at the blonde man, striking the circuity behind him instead. Wendy leapt forward and forced the pistol down. "NO! DON'T!" The villain had disappeared in a flash, leaving a thin trail of smoke into the passageway.

"Why the hell did you stop me, kid?!" Cap demanded an answer. "You let him get away!"

"I did no such thing!" Wendy argued back. "You're the one taking potshots at the wall! I'm no genius, but even I know if that stuff gets fried, all of these things will wake up, and they'll want _someone_ to munch on!"

He peeked down at the loved one in his arms before letting out an aggravated grunt. Cap switched to one knee, carefully setting his friend's back against the bottom of the cell. He placed his hands on her shoulders, "I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to settle things with that menace once and for all."

Cap raced past Wendy and barked over his shoulder at her. "Kid, you stay with her. Don't you leave her side."

"Hang on! You aren't – "

"And that's an order!"

He vanished down the exit before Wendy could say anything else.

"Now we're back to this garbage?!" She kicked one of the machines in outrage. "I'm not some lousy grunt that he can push around. I swear, I'd – "

Something took hold of Wendy's wrist, making every hair on the back of her neck stand up straight. She turned back, finding that the young blonde had reached out for her. The icy blue eyes had softened, as the pale lips slowly parted.

 _"Please…"_

Wendy knelt down to meet the rescued agent. "Hey, it's alright. You've been through a ton of rough stuff, so let's relax and – "

The woman gripped Wendy harder. "…don't understand. He – doesn't stand a chance against _Wesk_ – " She coughed, using a closed fist to cover her mouth.

"Take it easy, okay." Wendy pleaded. "I – I getcha, but what can I do? That guy kicked my butt up and down the street when I first met him. He's like the villain of a crazy wire-fu movie. How can we possibly beat someone like that?"

The woman fought to raise her other hand. Her fingers slowly extended towards the research station in the center of the room.

"Antivirus…" The digits shook, still trying to regain complete composure. "I watched him…as he performed his twisted experiments on me…" She opened the top of her collar, revealing an unknown mark just below her neck. _There was a circular indent mended into her skin. Dozens of tiny holes were spread across the hollow, reminding Wendy of a showerhead._

"Yeech!" The high-schooler bit her tongue in disgust. "Err, Sorry. You were saying?"

"In order to keep…virus in check…he has to take injections. If taken too early or too late..."

Wendy threw a fist into her open palm. "Then, no more superpowers! And it's in his workstation?"

"Hidden compartment in desk drawer…"

The teenager dashed to the computer terminal and threw open the singular drawer. It was empty with a white wooden layering at the very bottom. Wendy dug her nails into the edge and tugged upwards, as the false bottom gave way. A grey-foamed pouch was beneath it, holding three capped syringes filled with a dark violet solution. Two empty spaces made Wendy wonder if the man in black already took his dosage.

With her new discovery in hand, Wendy came back to the still-resting woman. "This is it, right? This is what you saw before?"

She shook her head. "You have to hurry. He's planning on…dumping a new strain of virus over this continent via stealth bomber. If it becomes airborne, there's no way to stop it from spreading."

Wendy had seen too much Cable TV to know what would happen next.

"Stop the plane and pump Mr. Big-and-Bad full of this stuff." She carefully set the needles in an inner pocket of her jacket. "Gotcha. Are you gonna be alright?"

The woman gave a gentle wave, before covering another series of coughs with her hand. "…okay. Hurry…hurry he before gets himself killed!"

After taking one last look, Wendy sped away towards the laboratory's exit. The narrow, cleansed track detoured downwards into an underground channel. Resembling a hollowed out sewer tunnel, both the flooring and its walls consisted of shoddily-carved limestone. Wendy could feel the bumps in the road with every step taken.

At the very bottom, there was a minuscule barred grate, allowing a thin flow of water that oozed in from the walls themselves to pass without risk of flooding. Wendy came upon two new paths. The one on the left was held shut with a heavy-iron barrier. The scratched metal left no knob or handle to maneuver. The other entrance was left wide open. She zipped inside without a second thought.

"Wait! Go back before – "

*SLAM!*

Wendy twirled around to see a similar-looking barricade come crashing down, cutting off her retreat.

"Great. You're stuck here, too…"

She had stumbled into a strange type of pen, where a thick mesh fence divided the room in half. Large, gaping holes in the ceiling resembled sliding chutes, but even with her natural height, Wendy had no way of reaching them on her own. Another metallic barrier prevented her from moving further in the room. Concealed lanterns dangling from chains fused into the ceiling offered the only limited light. An awkward centerpiece, a rounded, hand-crafted structure, akin to a totem pole, was embedded into the ground itself just before the plating.

On the opposite side of the divider, Cap stood with arms folded and an annoyed scowl. His side of the room was an exact mirrored image of the one she had been locked into. The grating gave off a screened-door effect, making some details somewhat blurred.

"What?!" Wendy threw her arms in the air. "It's not like you didn't caught too, so wipe that look off your face."

"Remember what we were saying about looking before we leap into danger?"

"This totally doesn't count! Besides, your – "

A crinkly static filled the mildewed air, leading both sets of eyes to a worn speaker fixed to the upper-left corner of Cap's cell.

 _"Well, well. A pair of hapless flies have managed to get themselves caught in the spider's web…"_

"And now he thinks he's a poet." Wendy cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted back at the speaker box. "Try using haikus, you jerk!"

 _"But fear not. Your end shall be quick, but I would be lying if I said it would be painless. And soon, this world will come to know its new lord and master. Perhaps we will meet in another life. But for your sakes, I would hope against such an encounter. Farewell."_

The static resumed for a brief moment before an audible *CLICK!* echoed through the chamber.

"Swell." Wendy griped. "Is it safe that say that that guy's ego wouldn't allow for some chance at escape from this mess?"

"Probably." Cap agreed. "But things would be easier on my conscience if you hadn't been dragged into this."

"Like I was saying, it wasn't my fault – this time, at least. Your lady friend sent me after you. She said that freakazoid is planning on dumping a new version of the zombie-bug from a plane just outside of here."

The soldier pressed against the tightly-wound wiring with both hands. "You're kidding me, right?"

"'Fraid not, Cap. But she also gave us one heck of a trump card." Wendy gently tapped her jacket. "A pack of injections that can make lose him control of his powers."

"That's…that's unbelievable…" The man acted taken aback by the unexpected news. "But that's not going to do us any good here."

"Tell me about it. It's like a demented version of where they round up cattle. Or a kinda weird chicken coop."

"More like a slaughterhouse if you ask me."

"Umm…maybe we should stop with the comparisons and start looking for clues."

As Cap began to explore his portion of the room, Wendy's attention returned to the eccentric statue. It was made of a thickened wood, and smoothed to perfection. For this, it was difficult to maintain a proper grip. With the little slack given, she pushed against the column, finding that it would spin clockwise for a few inches, before going back the opposite way.

At the very top, Wendy noted a notch on its left side. It was a hollowed opening in the shape of a diamond. The opening was so narrow, that she could barely fit two fingers inside.

"This might be a long shot, but you have a spinny statue in front of the door, right?"

"Yeah?"

Wendy probed further, "Does yours have a tiny opening on its side? Just before the top?"

Seconds passed, as Cap replied. "It's there; on the right side. A circle-shaped hole?"

"Actually, mine's squared, but turned on its side like a diamond."

"Really?"

Through the blurry offering of the fencing, Wendy could see Cap looking around the immediate area.

"What are you looking for?"

He came to a halt. "As stupid as it sounds: a crank."

"A _what_?"

"Trust me, it's part of that whack job's M.O. Just look for a big S-shaped piece."

After a couple scans, Wendy's emerald eyes stopped above an odd-looking indentation at the very top of the wall. From her perspective, a certain portion of the cavern bulged outwards.

"That looks like an "S" to me." Using the bunt of her grenade launcher, Wendy hit the access limestone, as a layer of dust poured downward. The piece of the wall swelled, tipping over, and fell to earth. The soiled article landed on the ground at Wendy's feet. She brushed off the dirt, taking a step back to take it the full view of her discovery.

"I think I found it…"

It was a bent iron crank, rusted across its center to nearly match the off-color of the walling. A splintered, persimmon handle had been attached to its bottom end. A twisting tip capped the opposite end.

"You did?!"

"Yep," Wendy said with pride, snatching the turning device off the ground. "Check your end for anything funky with the wall. Yours is probably hidden away like mine was."

*CRASH!*

"Got it!"

"Then, let's break out of this dump already!"

Wendy inserted the crank's ridged tip into the statue's opening and began to turn the handle. She strained aloud as the apparatus within offered plenty of resistance. Despite her efforts, the hurdle before her didn't budge an inch.

"What gives?" She grumbled. "This stupid thing ain't moving!"

"No, but mine is! Gimme a sec on my end…"

Sure enough, the door blocking Wendy's path let out a squeaky creek. It gradually rose from the floor, locking into place once the mechanism had reached its intended limit.

"Thank you!" Not wanting to press her luck, she released the handle and hurried past the opening. "I can't wait to get back –"

Wendy had only gone a few yards before being forced to skid to a complete stop. "N-No way!"

 _The corridor seemed to repeat itself._ She was again facing another silver blockade, along with an identical obelisk in the middle of the road.

 _"This can't be real! It's gotta be a trick…right?!"_ To make sure, Wendy double-checked from her fellow captive:

"Another door?"

He responded in monotone. "Uh-huh…"

"So…"

"So, we don't worry about the "how." We push through and get the hell – "

Cap stopped in mid-sentence, his voice trailed off unexpectedly. Wendy observed that the soldier stopped in place, staring back at the cell's entrance. Confused, she lightly tapped the fencing with her fingertip. "Chief? You good?"

After a few seconds, he let out a whisper, "Aw, sh – "

A green flash suddenly sped across Cap's side of the room, tackling the survivalist the ground, far beyond Wendy's sight. She could hear his struggles and the sound of his pistol going off several times in a row. There was something foreign as well; an eerie screech between the blasts.

"Chief!"

*THUNK!*

Wendy revolved back on her heels with weapon drawn. Something was in the pen with her! Draped in the shadows in the edge of the room, she watched the figure stand up from a kneeling position, making Wendy wonder if it fell from the nearby ceiling chute.

 _Walking on hind legs, it stood upright, stretching to at least six feet tall. Its shoulders broadened, delaying a compressed body covered in dark green scales. Its lengthy, muscular arms dragged along the floor like a gorilla. Wendy quickly realized that it wasn't fingers traveled along the dirt, but three-inch long claws. The same types of talons were found on its curved feet as it marched onwards._

 _The light above exposed a softer, olive underbelly that made Wendy think of a frog's. The creature had no neck; its head extended from a hunched back. Sickly-yellow fish eyes centered on the unnerved redhead. Its mouth, while tiny, contained a sampling of pointy fangs._

Wendy could no longer hear Cap's side of the room. She centered solely on the threat ahead. Her palms began to sweat; she gripped her launcher even tighter. The lizard monster promptly stopped. Wendy could have sworn to see a brief smile blossom on its lipless face.

*CREEEEE!*

The monster darted forward, its arms behind it, allowing for a bit more speed. Wendy pulled her trigger, receiving a *CLICK!* instead of a counter shot.

"What?"

 _She had forgotten to reload after the last fight._

The frog man pounced forward on both legs, traveling several feet in the air. It pulled its clawed hand back, crying out as it prepared to take Wendy's head clear off her shoulders. The lumberjack princess rolled forward, well out the reach of the deadly nails.

Resting on one knee, Wendy dug into her jacket and grabbed a flame capsule. As she went to insert her ammo, the freaky green being lounged forward, striking her in the back of her thigh.

"Ahh!" Wendy fell flat to earth as the lizard-beast leapt forward again, ready to deliver the death blow. She took the grenade launcher in both hands, and turned it sideways, using it as a shield against the sharpened claws.

*CLANG!*

The determined warrioress grinded her teeth as she pushed forward. The cold-blooded killer roared in anger after being denied its coup de grace. "My face…needs space!" She used her injured leg and kicked the softened front, knocking the beast on its back.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, Wendy tossed aside the empty launched and pushed her heels against the floor, propelling herself away to a safe distance. She pulled the still-loaded crossbow out as the scaly threat hopped back to its feet.

*THANG!*

The arrow pierced the beast's shoulder, forcing it back to the ground. Shrieking loudly, it writhed around in a violent fashion. Wendy made it back upwards, being careful to support her injury. To her shock, the leviathan started to rise up as well. She reached into the quiver and grasped another arrow, locking it into her bow.

*THANG!*

It struck a scaled spot below the menace's head. After smacking the floor a second time, the creature sat up even faster.

*CREEEEEEEE!*

 _"What's up with this thing?!"_ Wendy wondered. _"It's not even bleeding."_ She soon understood what happened. _"It's the scales. It's almost like a thick armor, protecting this thing from attacks."_ With a third arrow ready to go, Wendy carefully aimed at the yellowed chest, towards where she guessed its heart was.

*THANG!*

*SCREEEEEE!*

The monster's body tensed up, as it reached out with a clawed hand, before all life left its husk. Like a machine, Wendy instantly loaded another arrow, setting her sights at the corpse, ensuring that it didn't move an inch. After a good ten seconds, she leaned back against the grating, letting out a deep breath.

 _"Just…stay down, okay?"_

*BLAM!*

Wendy pushed off the mesh and faced the left side of the cell. Cap stood triumphant over his attacker, holding a sawed-off shotgun against his waist. She noticed a variety of cuts and wounds over the jarhead's body.

"Kiddo?" He asked. "You still with me?"

"Barely. Where'cha get the new toy?"

"This thing? I had it in my vest the whole time."

"What? Then, why didn't you use it before?"

She could hear him reload, as the empties bounced off the ground. "It's a rule of thumb: _you save your biggest weapons for the worst threats_. If you waste your good stuff on the small fries, then you won't have anything left for the heavy hitters like these guys."

Wendy saw her abandoned grenade launcher lying in the dirt, with its flame round nearby. Forced to limp slightly, she bent down and retrieved her clawed-up weapon, making sure it was fully loaded before moving on.

"Good point."

She walked back to the first statue, prying the crank from its slot. Heading back towards her new goal, Wendy said, "So, killer frogs, huh?"

" _Hunters_ , to be exact." Cap clarified. "They're grown from embryos created with modified DNA. All of the traits of a natural predator, but with the stance of a human being. Unlike zombies or lickers, they're raised from birth to be swift and calculating murderers."

"You mean, they're intelligent? Like it wasn't bad enough that have super-thick hides…"

"Let's just hope that's the last of 'em."

"Dude, don't say things like that out loud! You just jinxed us! Now, we _really_ have to high-tail it outta here!"

Upon reaching the second bust, Wendy went to insert the extension, finding that it wouldn't fit in the hole.

"Aw, come on!"

"What's up?"

Wendy faced the cage. "The crank won't fit in the new plug!"

"Give me a sec…"

She could hear the man go back and forth in his side of the holding cell. He answered an instant later. "You're right. This new one is square-shaped."

"Hold on. Lemme check something…" Wendy ducked to get a better look at the statue's side. The opening was carved into the shape of a circle.

"It's circular." She stood back up. "Didn't you say that your first one had a circle gap?"

"And yours a diamond?"

They each gazed down at the lever in their hands.

"Question is, how can we switch these things around?"

"That's it! Over here!"

Wendy followed along with Cap, back towards the center of the mesh fence. A slight, rectangular breach had been set along the bottom of the enclosure. While it was too small for a person to pass, the slit was fortunately wide enough to slide a flat object across.

Dropping down to all fours, Wendy laid the crank down and slid it across the way. "Heads up, Cap!"

"Got it!"

"Now, it's your turn! Gimme yours!"

*GRRRRRRRRRRRRLLLLL!*

"We've got company!"

Wendy raised her head to see another hunter land at the front of the coop. Upon spotting its prey, it took off in a frenzy, growling at the top of its lungs with claws and fangs unleashed.

*KA-BLAM!*

A well-placed flame grenade struck the behemoth's chest, blasting it against the back wall as the fire consumed it, turning it to charcoaled ash. Wendy went back to the break in the fence, finding that her expected replacement hadn't been pushed through yet.

"Hey, Cap?" She tapped on the mesh, trying to keep the nervousness in her voice under control. "You didn't forget about me, right?"

*BLAM!*

*BLAM!*

The crank flew past the hole, crashing into Wendy's boot.

"Sorry about that, bucko. Getting a bit busy on this end."

Wendy took the circle-based handle and rushed back to the column. Once properly fitted, she began to pump the crank until it could go no further.

"All set." Wendy waited at her door with anticipation. "Ready whenever you are."

Taking Cap's advice to heart, she set a fresh capsule into her launcher in the meanwhile. "Cap?"

 _No one responded._ The fuzzy image of the soldier had disappeared from her end of the fence. Wendy could have sworn to hear deep breaths coming from the other side. The gate preventing her escape didn't move in the slightest.

"Hey, man! This isn't funny! What's going on over there?!"

*GRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!*

Wendy spotted a third hunter at the end of the passage. With a sense of overconfidence, she pointed her launcher at it and fired. The homicidal atrocity bounced on the mesh barrier, and narrowly dodged her blast.

 _"Uh-oh!"_ With dread growing, the clerk pulled out another capsule from her pocket. She reloaded, and looked up…

"BAAAAAHHH!"

Wendy fell forward as the hunter passed by her. Her right shoulder swelled with a tremendous amount of pain. She could see that the three-lined gash traveled past her clothing and across her skin. She heard her attacker galloping towards her to finish the fight. Wendy closed her eyes and hoisted the grenade launcher back over her shoulder.

*KA-BLAM!*

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!*

The wounded teen felt the flaming corpse hit the ground behind her. The warm blood traveled down her arm. Unfortunately, Wendy didn't have anything available to wrap or clean it with.

 _"Heh…lucky the damn thing didn't lob it off completely…"_

Rising to her feet, Wendy could see more shadowy figures drop down from the sky. Two more hunters awaited her at the beginning of the room. She checked her pockets, finding that one last canister remained.

 _"Cap…any day now…"_

*BLAM!*

*BLAM!*

*CCRRRRRREEEEEAAAAAAKKKKKK!*

Wendy turned around to see that the barricade had been lifted about a foot off the ground. With the last of her strength, she sprinted towards the exit, and slid through the narrow channel headfirst, digging with her with nails and pushing off with her feet to squeeze through. Finding the closest wall, she set her damaged body against it and heaved. The clawed hands of the hunters swiped and stabbed outwards from beneath the barely opened door; their quarry was safely far from their reach.

 _"At… last! Something new!"_

The dual paths merged again into one unlit exit. Wendy peeked around the corner to see a faint light at the very end.

 _"But what happened to Cap?"_

The right chamber was left open – a result of her hard work and the numerous battles with the hunters. Using her launcher as a crutch, Wendy lifted herself up and hobbled towards the other chamber.

"What gives with waiting with the last minute, huh?" She shouted with a mixture of irritation and rage. "I got your damned door open, so why couldn't you – oh, no…"

Wendy's heart fell into her gut at the sight of a severely injured Cap barely hanging off his second statue. Large stabs traveled across his chest and around his waist. A thinning red stream flowed from his mouth. His right hand held his shotgun in a death grip while his left was wrapped around the handle of the crank. A literal pile of fallen hunters were spread across the back of the room.

"No, no, no…" Wendy picked up the pace and nudged his shoulder. "Hey, pal. We…we gotta get you going…"

With great effort, he raised his head, going as far as to grin at his concerned charge. "Hey, you made it. Sorry about…"

"Don't worry about it." Wendy threw his arm over her shoulders, bringing the much-heavier man to a stand. "Just ignore me and my big, lousy, stupid mouth, okay?" They slowly moved as one towards their well-earned exit.

*GRRRRRRRRRRRRLLLLL!*

"Gotta…be…joking…" Wendy dragged the soldier down the new hall even faster. "We haffa…we haffa pick up the pace, buddy."

She could felt Cap dip down a bit. "Just…leave…"

"Shut up!" Wendy realigned her grip and pulled harder. "…not leaving you behind…so shut up already!"

At long last, the team had reached the new room. As Cap flopped down to the floor with relief, Wendy used her good arm to tug the sturdy door shut, right in the faces of the new squadron of approaching hunters. Not wanting to take a chance, she lowered an aluminum bar onto the brackets screwed into the frame.

The monsters banged and pounded on the door as Wendy backed away. Regardless of how hard they struck it, they couldn't break through. After a minute or two, the beats started to soften before ceasing completely.

 _"That's right. Get bored and move on…"_

Wendy overlooked the barely conscious GI, lowering herself to tap his cheek. "You still with us?"

He coughed up a response. "Just barely."

"I'd hate to break it to you, Cap, but I don't think you're going anywhere like that." Wendy snapped her fingers. "You wouldn't happen to have another one of those spray bottle things, do you?"

He carefully moved his head side to side.

"Rats!" The young explorer began to search her surroundings. "Maybe we can find something to patch you up in here."

The pair had holed up in what seemed to be a fortified bunker. Mountains of sandbags were organized with pin-perfect precision. Dozens of army-green cases were loaded along the way, each marked with neon text indicating the fillings within:

 _"Gatling gun ammunition? Would help if we had that actual gun. Rations? Uh, I'm not sure what I can do with dehydrated beef stew. Ugh! This is pointless!"_

The glimmer of light came from a ladder leading back up to the surface. Wendy knew there wasn't a chance she could carry her hurt comrade to their next destination.

Something sparkled in the darkness, provoking Wendy to take point with her weapon. She gasped, spotting the shiny slim exterior of a First-Aid Spray resting on top of one of the containers.

"All right!" She swiped up the can and zipped back to where Cap was resting. "Now, we're in business." Wendy read the instructions on the back of the tin. " _Shake before use. Spray at a distance_. Simple enough." The ginger shook the spray repeatedly, hearing its insides rattle. Covering her nose and mouth with her shirt, Wendy held her hand outwards. "Fair warning: this is going to hurt like a mother."

*ZZZZZZZZZ!*

"GAAAHHH!"

Cap jolted forward with an exasperated wheeze. Revitalized, he patted the areas where his gashes were, finding that they had been cauterized. The tears in his clothing and armor served as the sole evidence of his injuries.

He looked up to see a relieved Wendy, offering a hospitable hand up. "Welcome back to the world of the living, bub."

Still stunned, Cap accepted her hand. "You…brought me here?"

"You don't remember?" Wendy set a hand on her hip. "Well, I did owe you one, and speaking of…" She tossed the remnants of the First-Aid Spray into Cap's chest, and slanted her arm to show off her own deep scratch. "I hope you don't mind that we're sharing."

Cap shook the bottle as Wendy turned her head. She bit her lip and prepared for the unavoidable sting.

*ZZZZZZZZZ!*

"Mmm!"

Wendy looked back to see that the marks on both her arm and leg closed, becoming part of her freckled flesh again. She tested her thigh, putting her full weight down to test for any long-term damage.

"As much as I love that stuff, I'll never-ever get used that stinger at the end." Wendy admitted.

"No one ever does." Cap set his sights towards the ladder's exit. "You ready to end this once and for all?"

"Gladly." However, a feeling of slight hesitation held Wendy back. "But are you sure we can take him like this? Not counting the anti-virus from your girlfriend – "

"She's not my girlfriend…"

"Calling it as I see it, boss. Like I was saying, I have one flame shot left, along with a handful of bolts, plus whatever you have up your sleeve. You think that'll be enough to stop 'im?"

"Why not?" He confidently started up the ladder. "The last time we fought, all I had on me was a single pistol clip with a mere 15 rounds – "

"And let me guess how the story ends," Wendy followed him upwards. "You walking barefoot in over six feet of freezing snow, right?"

Cap paused, shooting the sarcastic adolescent an angry glare, before muttering under his breath.

 _"Little smartass…"_

"What?" The plucky clerk played innocent. "Some people use humor to cope with stressful situations. I so happen to be one of those people."

"Whatever." He went on towards the opened top. "Let's get this done with, and you can go back to looking for your little boyfriend – "

"Huh?! He's not my boyfriend! Why – "

Wendy didn't see the soldier's smirk until after her outburst.

"Touché…"

"You were right; having a humor _does_ make these things somewhat better."

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep it moving. I don't wanna stare at your ugly butt all day long…"

* * *

The ladder led to a manhole located inside of what seemed to be an aircraft hangar. Various tools and spare parts were hung all along the building's walls. A myriad of work benches were left unattended, each with ongoing projects and assignments sprawled across.

Once topside, Wendy and Cap discovered that they were a balcony overlooking the ground floor. In the distance, they could see the stealth bomber, fueled and ready for takeoff at any given moment. Its cargo door was left ajar, waiting on the final preparations before launch. A network of spotlights shined down on the runway, allowing the painted on track to be made visible in the pitch-black night.

Their shared foe, the enigmatic man in black, waited at the railing with his back turned.

Cap signaled to Wendy, holding a finger over his lips. With weapons at the ready, they snuck towards the scoundrel, not as much as making a single footstep, in hopes of getting the drop on him.

 _"So, there you two are…"_

The duo came to a complete stop. They each set their sights squarely on the mastermind's backside. In his arrogance, he didn't move from his spot one bit.

"It's ironic if you think about it: scurrying about the sewers, like the vermin you are…"

"Enough of your crap!" Cap yelled in frustration. "There's nowhere left to run, and no one left to help you. So, make things easy for yourself, and surrender!"

"Yeah!" Wendy chipped in. "What he said!"

Still facing the outside world before him, the madman reached up and removed his sunglasses, twiddling them in his gloved fingers.

"Even now, you are content to play the role of the boy-scout. Don't you ever grow tire of it, considering how much you fail in your efforts? After all, it didn't do your partner a bit of good, did it?"

"You shut your mouth, you son of a – "

"This is getting old." Wendy complained. "Can't we just shoot him already?"

The man in the oversized slicker snorted. "With that, I agree with you, child…"

Without warning, he reached behind and threw his shades directly at Wendy. Baffled, she caught the glasses before they hit her chest. "What the – "

Before the lumberjane could look up, the living shadow was already before her. With lightning speed, he seized the dark spectacles from her hand, and spun around, elbowing Wendy in the gut. With a cry, she flew back into the corner of the nearest wall. Her spine collided with the column before she crashed to the ground.

 _"This is getting old…"_

The brute stared at the fallen teenager without any remorse in his orange eyes. He replaced the glasses on his face, as Cap began to fire.

"You cowardly – "

*BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!*

Wendy forced herself up to a sitting position. She wiped her eyes, trying to clear her hazy vision. As clarity formed, Cap was attempting to tackle his longtime adversary. Despite using all of his strength, he was brought to a halt by the man with the shades. He cocked his head and slammed both fists into the soldier's back. As Cap fell down to one knee, he was hip-tossed into the railing with a *CLANG!* His body slumped into a broken mess as the enemy swooped in for a finishing blow.

"Hands off, jerkwad!"

The baddie staggered about as Wendy leapt onto his shoulders. Wrapping an arm around his neck, the stubborn young adult stuck the tip of her grenade launcher deep in his lower back. He went around in circles, trying to free himself, as Wendy bought her partner some time to recover.

"Is that the best you can do? Hell, I get dizzier riding the Twirl-O-Whirl at the fair." As she slightly slipped, Wendy switched hands, planting her fingers into the rogue's hardened blonde hair. "Whoa, boy! Whoa!"

With an inhuman snarl, the man finally found Wendy's wrist. He tightened his grip, making every bone in her hand loudly crack.

"AAAHHH!*

"Fly away, little birdie…"

He threw Wendy off his backside by her arm. She soared through the sky, up and over the balcony's edge.

"W-H-O-A-A-A!"

She snagged the bottom of one of the railing's bars with her free hand. Wendy screamed, as her shoulder almost tore out of its socket.

"KID!"

Wendy glanced upwards, seeing Cap reach over the balcony's railing for her hand. "Hang on! I'll pull you up." In his worry, he never noticed the sinister being standing right behind him.

"Look out!"

As Cap peered back, he was given a devastating uppercut in the head for all his trouble. The trooper fell over the rail as Wendy lost her hold around the bar. Even as they plummeted to the runway several feet below, he never let go her hand. While Wendy dropped first, Cap's body somewhat slid under hers, twisting around in place in mid-air.

*SMACK!*

 _He had shielded her from the impact of hitting the pavement._

Battered, Wendy groggily made it to her knees. Halfway livid, and yet touched by the gesture. She rubbed his shoulder with both hands. "You – You idiot! Why would you…please be okay…"

Cap turned around and gagged. From what Wendy could see, there wasn't any blood on the concrete under him. The light beaming from above allowed for a proper look-over.

"Thanks…goodness…"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Because of you, chief."

"No." He gave her a weakened smile. "I was going to say, "Thanks goodness you're such a tiny thing. Otherwise, that would have done me in for sure…"

Wendy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I think you'll live…"

*THUMP!*

The relentless aggressor jumped down from the second floor. The light reflected off his sunglasses, allowing Wendy to see his intimidating eyes within.

 _"You never learn, do you? Always the gentleman. Always the first to protect the nearest skirt. It's something that will end up getting you killed."_

The engaged girl lined her crossbow with the man's chest. "It's called having class. A piece of scum like you couldn't understand a concept like that!"

He laughed, "And what do you mean to do with that bow, young lady?"

Wendy stood up, never faltering in her aim. "Now, that depends on you, doesn't it?"

Peculiarly, he paused to look down at his left hand, where an expensive sport timepiece had been strapped around his wrist. The man readied himself, cracking his neck and his knuckles.

 _"Seven minutes. Seven minutes is all I can spare to play with you…"_

Wendy realized that he wasn't staring at her, but the combat aircraft far in the distance. With Cap still recovering, _she was the only thing standing in the way of the world's destruction._

"Then, let's play!"

*THANG!*

He dodged the arrow; the sharp projectile penetrated the misty silhouette that followed the man's rapid-fire movements.

"Really?!"

Wendy strafed to the right of the airstrip, luring the threat away from Cap; away from the bomber. If she couldn't defeat him, at least she'd be able to buy some time.

*THANG!*

Another arrow passed across his waist. It was almost like he knew where the bolts were going to end up. Wendy was down to her final arrow. With nerves tensing, she loaded it and closed an eye _. "Gotta make this one count!"_

*THANG!*

Just as the bolt was about to strike the man's chest, he grasped the arrow in mid-flight. Wendy let the crossbow slip from her fingers and onto the ground. "Unreal…"

The opponent mockingly shrugged at her efforts. He pulled back and hurdled the arrow directly at Wendy like a javelin. Reflexes kicked into gear as Wendy grabbed her knife and deflected the bolt with a well-placed swing. The metal dart clattered somewhere out of sight.

The man in black took notice. "Impressive."

"I try…" She flashed her still unleashed knife. Wendy waved her fingers. "Come on, big shot. Let's see what you can really do without your lousy magic tricks."

"If you insist…"

From out of the blue, the tormenter rocketed forward with fist drawn. The slender, redheaded combatant swiftly side-stepped, and pushed off her left foot, delivering a super kick towards the man's chin. He raised his long, black-sleeved arm to protect himself. Denied her attack, Wendy lounged forward with knife, embedding it in his forearm.

"Gotcha!"

The man grit his teeth not in pain, but in outrage. "Damn you!" He thrust the palm of his hand into Wendy's stomach, sending her skidding across the cement. She finally stopped, crashing into one of the consoles that controlled the overhead lights. As her body buckled, her arm became caught up with the lever. It was pulled down along with her, turning the shining beacon off and shrouding Wendy in a layer of total darkness.

Throwing Wendy's knife on the ground, the man in black stopped in front of her and stared deep into her soul. Using the control panel for balance, Wendy attempted to make it back up, but couldn't get her feet beneath her. Left unarmed, she was totally defenseless before his almost-supernatural ability. All breath was taken from her form.

To Wendy's astonishment, he turned away from her, walking back towards the center of the runway. "What's the matter, my dear? Don't want to play anymore?" The man took a few more paces towards the other end of the field. "Have we resorted to hiding like the child you are?"

*BLAM!*

*BLAM!*

Cap had fired several rounds from his shotgun, forcing his rival to continuously backflip away. The soldier gave chase while reloading a new set of shells. "Enough games! Enough small talk! We finish this tonight! _One way or the other!"_

Wendy watched the battle play out under the limelight, still muddled by what just occurred. _"I don't get it. Why did he let me go like that? I must be crazy, but it was almost like he couldn't – "_

She went back to the fighters dueling under the remaining spotlights. The miscreant gained the upper hand, taking a hold of Cap's weapon, and driving it back into his gut, making him keel over.

 _"That's it! That's gotta be it!"_

While Cap kept the man in the long black slicker occupied, Wendy snuck around to each of the computer terminals controlling the overhead lights, pulling the switches that turned them off one by one.

A few moments later, the entire battlefield was devoid of any light. Both men were baffled by the sudden change in scenery.

 _"What treachery is this?!"_

With Cap in range, Wendy reached out and pulled him behind the closest console. "What the – "

"Keep it down…" She whispered. "Just watch."

They surveyed the infuriated scoundrel marching up and down the airfield in search of his quarry. "You two only delay the inevitable. You claim I'm out to destroy the world; _I'm trying to save it!_ And when I purify this world, I will remake mankind in my image!"

"Okay, he has a god complex. I knew that already."

"No, don't you get it?" Wendy insisted. "Look at the way he's stomping around randomly. Those stupid sunglasses protect those crazy-looking eyes of his and without any light…"

 _"He can't see!"_ Cap said. "That's brilliant!"

"I know. We need to bring him down, so I can inject him with the serum."

He gestured towards the front of the hangar. "I could have sworn that there were more weapons in those crates over there. See what you can dig up."

"And where will you be?"

Cap held his pistol close to his chest. "Serving as a distraction…" He shot at the furthest panel, sending the enemy on a wild goose chase across the strip. "Now, go!"

As Wendy crept in the shadows towards the barrage of crates, she could hear the man in black pound on the console with his fist in vexation. "Are you so afraid that you will not face me? No matter. It's only a matter of time…"

Passing over the dropped grenade launcher, Wendy silently popped the top of the container, setting it on the ground. She burrowed into the soft, fluffy packing, hoping to discover something – _anything_ that could tip the scales in her favor. A glimpse of moonlight through the passing overcast unveiled such an advantage.

On top of a sheet of hay, a long, yet incredibly thin rocket launcher was illuminated by the gleam of its steel frame. The shoulder rest and back portion were crafted from a dark redwood. A fragile, but detailed scope was bolted onto the upper half, complete with an additional iron sight affixed near the end of the barrel. The overly-large trigger had been built into a curved, forward grip, allowing its user a maximum comfort.

The most standout piece was the single green rocket already loaded and ready for use. Its ridged surface allowed for optimal accuracy. With a sense of delight, Wendy set the new find on top of her shoulder, taking a moment to properly ready herself.

"This has to be perfect." She noted, testing out the range of the scope. "We only have one shot, but then again, with this guy, _we'll only need one shot_."

From within the viewfinder, Wendy could see her target returning to the center of the airfield, still in mid-tantrum. She gradually gripped the trigger, waiting for the perfect moment to launch her explosive volley.

 _"C'mon, you smug prick. Just stand still and smile for the birdie…"_

*POP! POP! POP! POP!*

As if he could read her mind, Cap unleashed another series of popshots from his pistol. Directed towards the center of the airfield, the noise made the man with the tinted glasses turn around, leaving his backside wide open.

"And we…have…lift-off!'

*WHOOOOOOOSH!*

The rocket flew from the launcher at an incredible velocity; its impact hurled Wendy back into the other crates. Its back lit up like a firecracker, growing brighter by the second as it sped towards its goal.

"Yeah!" Wendy cheered from the ground. "Go, little guy, go!"

*WHOOOOOOOSH!*

The man in black spun back towards the unusual sound. Just as the missile was about to make its mark, he took hold and attempted to wrestle with it. Even with his super-human strength, he was unable to toss it away, keeping the deadly warhead at a stalemate.

 _"It…can't be! There's no friggin – "_

"Shoot it!" Wendy could see Cap shooting at the delayed rocket with his pistol. "Hit the damned thing!"

With their last chance at victory slipping away, she sprinted back into battle, rolling over her grenade launcher. With weapon in hand, Wendy came upright up, resting on one knee. She extended an arm and fired at the paused missile with her last flame round.

"KA-BOOM!*

Wendy turned away from the explosion, protecting her face from any possible shrapnel. She glanced back, seeing that the scene was covered with a thick smoke. The runaway was forever stained with black burn marks. With the deed done, Wendy sat on the ground, her back still aching, and chuckled, "Was totally worth it for the BOOM!"

As the fog cleared, the relieved heroine could see a lone figure standing still. The familiar shine of the wrap-around shades came with a sense of utter despair. The man in black appeared to be in good health, although a few minor injuries were made apparent. His blonde hair had been turned dark. His pasty skin was covered with soot and ash. The long onyx coat was singed in several places.

 _He didn't as much as cough._

Wendy sprang up, still holding her launcher tightly. "You're – man, what else do I have to do? Hit you with the kitchen sink?!"

She flinched as the man went to move forward; instead, he tumbled to his knees. An instance later, he was down on all fours, his breaths deep, and yet, far from irregular.

"Do it now!"

Cap came from behind and snatched the back of the slicker, bringing his old supervisor upwards. He held the man's arms back, noticeably groaning with every attempted escape attempt stopped.

"Give him the shots! Hurry!"

Wendy woke from her stupor. She took the three injections from her inside pocket. Thankfully, they were all still intact in lieu of her many spills and falls.

"On it!"

Not wanting to take a chance and risk getting too close to their struggle, Wendy improvised. She shoved the first shot into the barrel of her grenade launcher, needle pointing outwards. She aimed for the villain's stomach and pulled the trigger.

*BOOF!*

The injection pierced his gut, making him cry out in pain.

"Keep it up! Don't stop!"

*BOOF!*

The second shot went through his vest, near his heart. Turning almost feral, the restrained madman tried breaking out of Cap's grip even harder.

"You're almost there! Do the last one!"

*BOOF!*

Wendy sent the last needle into the man's neck. With that blow, he lunged forward, breaking free of Cap's hold. However, he couldn't make it back up under his own power. The desperado growled, ripping the injections out of his body.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

He cradled his arms over his head as he screamed in agony. Cap raced to Wendy's side to get a better look at what was happening.

"Is it working?"

"I think so…"

The man flung his trademark shades into the distance, his exposed eyes now a bright red. Every vein in his face bulged a sickly purple and blue. He struggled to look up at those responsible for his current condition.

 _"What…did you…do to me?!"_

Wendy walked forward with a large amount of pride. "What did we do? Heck, all we did was brought you down to our level."

With a grunt, she flipped her grenade launcher and jammed the butt down on his nose, forcing liquid crimson from his nostrils. The vulnerable man snarled at the still-bragging schoolgirl.

" _You're mortal,_ babe _._ No more super strength or invincibility. No more prancing around like you're the lord of the dance. Now, _you're just like everyone else!_ "

The man glanced down at his fingers covered with his own blood. He stared back at Wendy with defiance. "This isn't over!"

In one fell swoop, he rocked back to his feet, and slipped out of his slicker. The fallen adversary threw the lengthy jacket at Wendy, covering her head. "Hey, I can't see!"

With his captors distracted, he sprinted down towards the end of the runaway, where his custom bomber awaited. "The world will be mine yet!"

"Get back here!" Wendy went to give chase, only to be pulled back by Cap. "What are you, crazy? We've got to stop him!"

"You're right." Cap agreed. "He does need to be stopped, but _I'm_ going solo."

"This isn't the time for your macho-man B.S.! We can – "

 _"Wendy, please…"_

The teen grew calm. She knew something was different. The soldier's expression wasn't stern or strict, but filled with _compassion_. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Just listen. You already have done so much to bring this nightmare to an end. But I have a feeling that this might be a one-way trip. And besides, don't you have a partner of your own to save?"

Suddenly, Wendy could make out a mysterious glow coming from across the airfield. The same white beam that served as a sign when her time in a particular world had come to an end. She let the launcher fall from her hand; _her battle here was over with_.

"I…I understand." Wendy offered the jarhead an open hand. "I'll leave the rest up to you then."

Cap shook her hand, offering a nod before taking off towards the aircraft. He had gone a few yards before turning back around.

"Hey, kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep something in mind: _when the odds are against you, and chances are, you're not going to make it out alive, just remember those you care about, like that partner of yours. Sometimes, it's just enough to give you the edge in any situation."_

"Huh." Wendy commented. "Sounds like something I'd hear at a graduation, but yeah, I'll do that."

Cap gave a cheesy wave, "Take it from someone who knows!" He continued on towards his next destination, climbing into the cargo doors of the bomber as they began to close. The roar of the engines popped Wendy's eardrums. Within seconds, the afterburners activated as the plane journeyed down the rest of the runaway. It smoothly lifted off from the ground and into the night sky, far from her sight.

Left all alone on the strip, Wendy hiked towards the glow in search of the next portal. To her surprise, the radiance was coming from beneath the ground. At the very edge, she noticed a small control panel built into the wall itself. Just below it, a sturdy, curved handrail had been drilled into the cement. Wendy glanced down, seeing that the floor beneath her feet had a square-shaped parting.

 _"I get it now! It's an elevator!"_

She clicked the down-arrow key on the panel, bringing the elevator to life. Physically and mentally exhausted, Wendy leaned against the railing and closed her eyes. In spite of the now-peaceful surroundings, the moans and shrieks of the undead plagued her sub-consciousness.

 _"Here's to the end of one nightmare…"_

Soon, the elevator traveled down into the awaiting portal, as Wendy felt her center pass onto the next world. Cap's advice weighed heavy on her soul, as her thoughts returned to that of Dipper.

 _"And now, the beginning of another…"_


	7. Chapter 7

_"No one's gonna take me alive.  
The time has come to make things right.  
You and I must fight for our rights.  
You and I must fight to survive."_

"Knights of Cydonia," by Muse.

 **Chapter 7 – Velvet Staircase to the Netherworld**

 _"AAAH! AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"_

 _"Geesh!" The kidnapper came out of the dark with a yawn, stretching their lengthy arms over their head, as if awakened from a nap. "What's with all the hollering?!"_

 _"My hand!" Dipper shrieked, throwing his pixelated palm through the bars of his cage for his captor to see. "Look what happened to my hand!"_

 _"Huh…" With a tender touch, the jailer turned Dipper's wrist back and forth, examining his unusual transformation. "Man, you're taking to this a lot faster than I thought you would…"_

 _"What?" Dipper snatched his hand back. "You – You did this to me?"_

 _"Well, to be fair," the shadowy figure shrugged with a devious smile. "It's the food that did you in, bucko. Hope you enjoyed it, at least."_

 _"The…food…?" Dipper glanced down at the half-eaten plate at his side. "No, no, it – that doesn't make any sense. I've had food from the gaming universe, and I've never had any side effects – "_

 _"True, true, but I might have added a "special something" to your last meal." It crossed its arms, relaxing its form against Dipper's cell. "You know what, Dipper? There's a ton of people here that totally hate your guts. Especially this one guy I know. Forget his name, but it's a wizard-dude who looks like a giant blue pig…"_

 _"Oh, no…"_

 _"Oh, yes!" The abductor went on with a sick glee. "And once I explained who I was, and what I was trying to do, he was more than happy to lend me a spell or two."_

 _"What is it that you're trying to do?"_

 _"It's like I said before," it lowered its face into the bars. "You're all mine, Dipper. And in a few hours, you'll be just like me! And when your conversion is complete, you'll be trapped here forever!"_

 _Dipper launched himself up, "That won't happen! You'll see!"_

 _"I know! I know!" The hijacker mocked, turning its back on their captive. "Just I wait! Someone's going to find you. Mean Ol' Wendy's coming to knock my lights out! Sounds about right?"_

 _Dipper remained silent, letting his determined stare serve as his answer._

 _"Let her." It peered over its shoulder. "If by some miracle, she does manage to make it here, it'll already be too late. You'll be a part of this universe, and there's nothing dearest Wendy can do to change that, no matter how hard she huffs and puffs!"_

 _Dipper lowered his head, "It's what Rumble tried doing Wendy before; the first time this happened, right?"_

 _It nodded. "Yep. Irony sucks, doesn't it? Then again, I couldn't think of a better punishment. For the both of you…"_

 _As Dipper slumped down in his cage, the captor took its leave with one final scoff. "Enjoy your humanity while it lasts, kid."_

 _Suddenly, Dipper's chest began to itch like crazy. With his still-human left hand, he peeled back his orange shirt. The contagion had spread from his shoulder and down his torso. The boy looked ahead to see that his captor had vanished again._

 _With the threat within him growing with every passing second, Dipper was overwhelmed by a feeling of dread and claustrophobia. He clutched the bars of his prison with both hands, one made of pixels and the other flesh, and rested his weary forehead against the cool metal._

 _"Wendy, I'm not sure if you're really out there or not, but if you are, you gotta hurry. Please!"_

* * *

Wendy no longer felt a deep chill as the white light lifted. Her body was covered with a gentle warmth, as if it had be blanketed with a soft cloth. The screams of the zombified victims of the black-suited madman couldn't be heard. It was replaced with the howling roar of the nighttime wind.

"Where – "

*KRAK!*

Before she could even finish asking, a lightning bolt crashed through the sky. The sudden storm grew louder, and yet, the atmosphere remained bone dry. Resting on the ground, Wendy slowly raised her neck upwards as she became bathed in a blue glow.

"What – "

She had awakened on the concrete steps of what appeared to be a decrepit altar. A single, solidary brick wall served as the basis of a forgotten shrine. Long, open windows suggested that it may have belonged to something greater at a previous time.

In the middle of the shrine, a giant emerald cross had been mounted into a stand set into a middle ledge. Wendy was captivated by the bluish-green light stemming from the symbol's center. Her starry eyes didn't as much as more lightning surrounded the secluded monument.

*KRAK!*

*KRAK!*

*KRAK!*

"Not exactly a religious person," Wendy admitted. "But I get the point. Question is, what does this mean? Where do I go now?"

*SCREE! SCREE! SCREE!*

A wave of pitch black shot out from one of the openings above the cross. Wendy quickly ducked down with a startled cry. She revolved about to see a colony of black bats soaring across the moonlit sky.

"Lousy, stinking flyin' rats! I oughta - _whoa…_ "

 _Beneath the moon, the girl saw the silhouette of a gigantic gothic castle in the distance. Hoisted on a scaled, warped piece of hilltop, the citadel spanned out for what Wendy guessed to be miles on end. Numerous towers branched out from the main structure into hundreds of feet into the air. The swarm circled about the tallest post, disappearing in the neighboring area._

"Alright then. I take it that's my next stop." Wendy surveyed the area around her. Darkness draped throughout the calmed countryside. However, the experienced lumberjane knew not to mistake the peaceful for the very ominous. "Wish there was a little bit of light so that I could make my way through this mess…"

*WOOSH!*

With the next night breeze that passed, several small flashes sprung up from the ether. The colors took form, creating a network of dual conjoined wax candles that hovered above the ground, almost like they were held in place by an invisible fixture. Together, they created a trail from the unpaved path and to the foreboding castle.

"Ask and ye shall receive, eh?" Wendy turned back to the cross. "Any chance I can skip to the end of this mess and check out of here ASAP?"

The beam instantly faded, leaving the statue lifeless. The heat-flash storm calmed as well.

"Figured as much. Still, two out of three isn't too shabby." Wendy stood up, as the fabric keeping her warm followed along with her moments. "What is that?"

A simple, but sturdy cape had been set over her shoulders, held in place by a beaded collar across her neck. "I'm not sure how you got there, but you're only gonna slow me down." Wendy grasped the beads and flung them upward, hurling the shawl pass her head and into the sky.

"Well, this is new."

 _Her slender frame had been set into an olive-green battle armor that extended down to her thighs. The gear was supported by thick black straps that traveled from her broad shoulders and down her backside. A royal-blue jacket had been tied alongside her waist with a brown buckled belt. Wendy thought it funny that the coattails resembled a lengthy skirt._

 _Comfortable, form-fitting lavender boots reached just above her knees. The flexible material braced every bend and bounce of Wendy's legs; something that her usually stiff and oversized mud-stained waders couldn't offer. Her hands were gloved in the same color, but the fingers shone like steel._

 _As she looked around, Wendy sensed a light touch against her back. She reached behind her to see what it was. Her long, copper hair had been neatly braided into a bundled lock that ended at her pelvis. An adorable green ribbon capped off the red tip._

 _Strangest of all, a leather whip had been attached to the left side of her belt. Taking hold of the crafted handle, Wendy pulled the new weapon from its holster and let the coils straighten through the earth. Planting her feet firmly, the curious teenager flung the whip in the air with a sudden thrust._

*KR-ACK!*

"Awesome!" She rolled it back into the loop on her side. "Definitely different, but can't say this thing isn't a killer." Wendy took one last gaze at the shrine, offering it a modest nod.

"For what it's worth…thanks."

With that, the clerk stepped off of the granite steps and on the footpath illuminated by the floating candles. Wendy found herself immersed in the natural beauty of the countryside. The scent of foliage entered her nostrils, encouraging her to take a deeper breath. The tall, ancient trees planted along the road flowed along with the dry wind. The adjoining shrubbery contained a hint of lively shine, presumably from leftovers of dew.

As odd as it sounded, the serene scenario reminded Wendy of home – of a less busier version of the Gravity Falls Woods.

 _"At least I don't have to worry about grizzlies charging out from the trees here…I think."_

After traveling nearly a mile, Wendy came to the land's sudden end. The track of candles had vanished as well. A lengthy moat filled to the brim with rapid, dark water extended around to the left and right. On the opposite end, a bronze-colored gate seemed to match the length of the channel. The only available path was that of a protracted drawbridge.

Confused, she stared into the moon, where the shadow of the mysterious castle lied. "Hold on. You mean to tell me that this is one place?" Wendy scratched the side of her head. "Man, whoever owns all of this must be super-loaded!"

She narrowed her eyes, seeing a familiar glow just past the gate house. The candles were now past the drawbridge and well into the new area.

 _"Guess that settles that then."_

Wendy took a deep breath and skipped past the small chasm, landing on the iron platform with a metallic *THUD!* She walked onwards, the gate shaking with every step. _"This is kinda weird if you think about it. What kind of castle just leaves their front door wide open like this? It's just way too easy…"_

All of a sudden, the drawbridge shook beneath Wendy's boots. The chains supporting it started to retract with a rustic squeak. The agile warrioness jerked back to try to keep composure. _"What's happening?!"_

To her horror, the drawbridge was raising upwards, with Wendy on it!

"W-W-H-H-H-O-A-A-A-H!"

Gravity shortly took effect as Wendy slid down the drawbridge at rocket speed, dropping onto the solid earth with a rough bump. "Ow!" She bounded up from her bruised backend, seeing that the entrance was now sealed.

 _There was no going back now._

Left without any other choice, Wendy trekked past the gate house, finding that a depilated medieval-styled village had been hidden away in the castle's walls. The high-schooler couldn't find a single home that remained in a whole piece. Rooftops were ripped open and torn at. Walls were cracked straight down the center. Every window within eyesight had been shattered into pieces. No single door was left standing, save for a few splinters here and there.

 _"What happened here?"_ Wendy wondered, never daring to stray too far from the path under the candles. " _It's looks like a war zone. From the looks of things, I'd say it's been a really long time since anyone's lived here."_

*R-R-RUMBLE!*

The land swelled as something massive sprang from the gravel. Two large fences now blocked the curious ginger from any contact of the outside world. Narrow steel bars were too slick to climb upon. The pointed tips covered with aged moss and rust served as a painful reminder of what would happen if Wendy took a chance and failed.

"All right! I get it!" She threw her arms out. "Stay on the path!" Wendy looked back at the ruined town. "I wonder what happened to all the people – "

Her voice broke upon turning back around. Her newest destination immediately answered her question.

Wendy was now standing before the largest graveyard she had ever seen. An unshakable feeling of gloom enclosed the collection of tombstones, monuments, and statues placed along the acre. A murky fog, reminding Wendy of an awful pea soup, swirled around her ankles, blocking any sight of the stiff ground.

Just as Wendy was about to step into the cemetery, she stopped in mid-step, holding a foot just above the earth. She moved back and chuckled, waggling a finger about. "Aha…you _almost_ got me. " Wendy paced about, well out of the reach of the new area, as her cautious, semi-nervous side took over.

"Oh, I can already call this: I'll walk blindly into this half-lit graveyard under a full moon, making my way to what's obviously some kinda haunted castle. You're probably thinking, "She hangs out in her ex's parents' graveyard, so she'll never see this coming." And then, KA-PLAM! Some mangy undead creature grabs me and drags me down for a nice, long nap in a pine box despite me being wide awake and screamin'…"

She twirled around towards the unsafe environment, "AM I RIGHT?!"

No one answered the exasperated teen, except the echoes of her own voice.

Wendy sighed and glanced back into the potentially dangerous landscape. The line of candles above her ensured that this was unquestionably the designated path. There were no other alternatives to take.

 _"Well, sorry, magic candles. Not all of us can fly or hover or whatever it is you do. Some of us actually have to touch the ground…to get around…"_

An ingenious idea struck the plucky cashier. Wendy went back to the nearest headstone and lined up distances in her head, nodding along with assumed measurements taken. She stood up, stretched her arms and legs, and cracked her neck in preparation.

Not only did Wendy discover a way though – _she managed to make a game out of it._

"UHP!"

Taking a running start, the lanky gymnast launched up into the nearby tombstone. It took a second for her to regain balance on top of the slab. To even herself, Wendy stuck out her arms and searched around for the next available step. A sliver of guilt clouded her thoughts as she was making tracks on the final resting place of others.

*HOP!*

"Sorry!"

*HOP!*

"Sorry!"

Faded marble chipped under Wendy as she landed on the top of the next memorial. She caught herself before falling, using her hands to push back upright. A frown spread across her freckled face as Wendy realized that the closest tombstone was way too far to jump to.

 _"Well, that bites! What can I do now?"_

A rotten tree was to her left. All of its remaining branches had been stripped of any leaves. The gnarled bark had been aged grey. A tall crypt lied a few feet away from the tree. The double-doored entrance was left sealed; a layer of cobwebs coating them confirmed that the vault hadn't been opened for centuries.

Luckily, its rooftop was extraordinary long, traveling past a huge portion of the cemetery.

 _"Next stop…"_

Wendy leapt at the tree, taking hold of a mighty trunk with both arms. She dangled down from the branch and peered down. The tips of her toes barely thinned through the fog below.

"And a-one-and a-two…"

Using her upper-arm strength, Wendy tightened her grip and flipped around the branch. The red and purple blurred faster and faster with every rotation.

"And three!"

Wendy let go of the tree and flew on the crypt's roof with a soft *PAD!* The knees of her boots were internally cushioned, taking the blunt of the blow. She got back up and dusted herself off. With the additional height given, Wendy could see that the haze had lightened further down. Another plentiful scene packed with green nature was at the other end of the graveyard.

 _"Finally! I knew that fog business was a total load! Now, let's – "_

*CR-E-E-E-E-K!*

The shingles of the roof dryly squeaked underneath Wendy's feet. The covering wasn't as solid as she had predicted. The designers hadn't planned on someone using it as a bridge.

*CR-E-E-E-E-K!*

Wendy waited, somewhat afraid to move a single muscle. For all the unknown horror that might reside throughout the soil of the cemetery, she imagined what awaited her in an abandoned tomb jam-packed with corpses and no possible escape.

She gulped and set her sights on her goal. It had to be perfect, or else, Wendy would fall through and wind up trapped. Running on pure adrenalin, the fleet-footed sprinter darted across the roof as the rickety shingles gave away a split second later. At the edge, Wendy jumped off with both feet, hurling pass the remainder of the headstones and gravesites. She rolled into the paved road right outside of the fog's grasp.

"WOO-HOO!" Wendy cheered, throwing her arms in the air in victory. "Take that, creepy graveyard!"

Unexpectedly, the armor-platted high-schooler felt sheepish. Wendy gazed back at the haze-covered scenery. She had nearly killed herself trying to sneak around the area without any proof of danger. And deep down, Wendy didn't have an answer why.

 _"Man, my paranoia is getting real bad lately. Wonder if Dipper's contagious?"_

As Wendy pushed her doubts away and took her leave, a menacing yowl sent shivers down her spine. She whirled back around, seeing two laser-red lights staring back at her from the rising mist. Placing a careful hand on the whip at her side, Wendy called out, "W-Who's there?! Show yourself!"

To her surprise, more red beams appeared among the miasma. The lights grew brighter as they crept closer by the second. Seeing that she was surrounded, Wendy took out her newest weapon and slapped it against the dirt in anticipation of what was coming next.

 _Three living, animated skeletons skulked out of the fog. All traces of skin, muscle, or sinew had been long lost, leaving filthy, yellowed bone structure. Their faces were eternally frozen in a clinched sneer, as all eyes focused on the prepared redhead. They moved as one, their actions smoothed and précised, like that of a real person._

 _"These guys aren't anything like those old stop-motion flicks that always freak Mabel out – they actually look like a real threat. The real question is how dangerous – HEY!"_

Wendy dodged to her right as something fast flew past her. One of the skeletons had thrown an actual bone at her as a projectile. The missed object melted into the ground, similar to a small flame drawing down to a slow burn.

The second carcass lurched forward, driving a hand into its skeletal ribcage. It effortlessly plucked a long bone from within, tightly holding it in its palm for use as a bludgeoning tool.

 _"Man…"_ Wendy thought. _"They're using their own bodies as weapons. That's all kinds of messed up."_

*RAOR!*

With a snarl, the undead being lunged, hurling its blunt weapon downward near Wendy's shoulder. She skipped back, and shot her whip into the skeleton's center.

*KR-ACK!*

The popper of the whip hit the unprotected spine, splintering it with the single blow. Without a structure to support them, the rest of the bones fell, being absorbed back into the grime whence they came.

The other skeletons pelted Wendy with their own disposable ribs and femurs. She dashed to the side and lashed the whip to the left, decapitating the two specters. To Wendy's repulsion, the bodies moved about, even without the use of their heads.

"Are you kidding me?!"

*SNAP!*

She hurled the whip outwards and back, sweeping the cursed beings off their legs and on their backs. Their damaged forms liquefied back into the cemetery dirt.

"There! Now, maybe – "

Wendy held her ground as more demonic eyes appeared out of the mist. By her count, six more skeletal creatures tighten their circle around her.

 _"What am I, dense? We're standing on a literal boneyard! These things are gonna keep coming and coming."_ She looked back into the woods. _"Retreating isn't really my style, but I can't spend all day fighting these things."_

Never looking back, Wendy spun around and scurried into the forest. Brief glimpses at the candles above ensured that she stayed on the correct path. After a few seconds, she could no longer hear the clattering of the skeletons.

*CRAW!*

Wendy shrieked as something small and blue dove down from the treetops with lightning speed. She ducked at the last moment to avoid collision. With an angry grunt, Wendy twisted up to the higher green, noticing _a dark raven flapping above the full branches. An unidentified slice of meat was smeared across its white-lifeless beak. Its beady eyes were the same ruby red as that of the skeletons._

 _"Great! Even the birdies have it out for me now…"_

*CRAW!*

The raven flew back down at Wendy with its sharp talons drawn. Annoyed by this newest pest, the girl hopped back up and timed her attack, whacking the deranged avian with the thong of her whip.

*SCREE!*

The smacked-down bird splattered into the grime before evaporating into blue fire. Wendy shook her head, before returning to the trusted road. Before long, the weary adolescent was faced with another obstacle – the path had split into two.

 _"And the candles lead into both ways, so now what?"_

The upper route consisted of a series of crevices and jagged rock piles that resembled oversized steps. The unusual elevation would bring her even closer to the ivy canopies. Even from Wendy's current position, she made out more deadly eyes sticking out of the leaves.

The lower passage traveled along a babbling creek. The water mixed into a brief pool of slimy mud, leading off into a lapsing bank that led back to solid land. Everything appeared to be nice and quiet, without as much as a whisper being uttered.

 _"Huh. Super hard choice: risk getting my face pecked off, or having to get a bit muddy. Yeah, gonna have to go with the mud on this one. It's not like anyone ever died from getting a bit dirty…"_

*SQUISH!*

Wendy slid into the goo and pressed on. With every step, the sludge sucked at her boots, bogging down her movements more and more. It soon came to the point that Wendy could barely lift her feet.

 _"This stuff feels like molasses. It's getting harder to – ah, geez! I'm stuck!"_

She tugged at her left leg, finding that her foot couldn't break past the slime's surface. Wendy tried her right boot, discovering that it too was held fast. With a groan, she bent down and went to dig herself out.

 _"After all, it isn't like I never got stuck in the mud back home. Wait - what's that?"_

Wendy was caught off-guard by the discovery below. She hadn't gotten herself trapped in the sticky goop. In reality, two hands made of the slime had risen up from the bank and seized Wendy's ankles.

 _The mud river itself was alive._

The ensnared adventurer kicked and stomped as hard as she could, but the flowing palms refused to relinquish their hold. In frustration, Wendy pulled out her whip and pounded the hands, only to have mud splashed back in her face.

*COUGH! COUGH!*

She wiped the brown sludge away from her green eyes. _"Well, rocket scientist; play a stupid game, get a stupid prize."_ Wendy tried again to free herself. _"Egh! Should've took my chances with the crazy buzzards."_

*BUB – BUB – BUB – BUB…*

Wendy raised an eyebrow as the river of mud bubbled rapidly. _A bulky, wide form took shape. It morphed into three points; the two on the sides grew outwards as if it was reaching out for her._

 _As the top, the strange bubbling noise switched to a maddening pitch. Three holes arose – two empty horizontal, identical gaps shone the familiar bright red that Wendy had become accustomed to. The third opened wide and howled aloud, its horrid screams carried along the night wind._

Now whole, the muck monster sluggishly sloshed towards Wendy. The smelted arms stretched out to drag her further into the living gunk. Its cavernous mouth, while having no visible teeth or tongue, set to devour its super-tall prey whole.

 _"Gross…"_

More disgusted than afraid, Wendy swung back with her whip, relying on the use of her hips since her ankles were still held prisoner.

*SPLAT!*

Her stroke had pierced the mudman's waist, cutting it into two. The upper half drooped back into the slime while the bottom shifted from side to side without guidance.

 _"Well, that's one problem solved."_ Wendy concluded. _"I gotta break outta of this stuff and – "_

 _"oooooooooooh…"_

Her escape plans were interrupted by the ghastly moaning. The redhead watched as the fallen half of the monster absorbed the neighboring mud like a sponge, becoming bigger with every instant. It rose up, this time just past Wendy's waist.

 _"You have to be kiddin' me…"_

The severed torso was expanding as well. The nightmarish eye-holes and mouth soon returned, forming along a much smaller body that was almost equal in size of its counterpart.

The regular-sized mud creature had become two pint-sized ones. With a turtle's rate, they closed in on their captive prize, their ever-flowing hands clamoring to bring her down to their level.

"C'mon, already!" Wendy roared as she repeatedly whipped the sentient goop, flattering its inhabitants to a fine paste. "THIS! IS! GETTING! RIDICULOUS!"

She hunched over, resting her hands on her knees, and taking several deep breaths. _"That…that had to do it, right?"_

*BUB – BUB – BUB – BUB…*

Wendy lifted her head up to see that another set of new mounds were gathering in the muck.

 _"Seriously?!"_

The low-keyed groans from within the slime were replaced with high-pitched shrieks. They weren't sorrowful or cries of pain, but that of children playing. Four pint-sized mud kids, each barely as tall as Wendy's shins, waded through the glop with all sights set on her.

With odd timing, Wendy recalled all the times when her little brothers would team in an effort to wrestle her to the ground. Only, if that happened here, there was no way she'd get back up.

 _"It's like those stupid skeletons…"_ Wendy presumed. _"I can destroy a thousand of those things, and this sludge'll create a jillion more!"_ She attempted to move her feet again; the ooze-hands binding her to the mud never faltered for an instance. " _Maybe that's the point of all this: hold me here and tire me out until it can – "_

Wendy shook the thought from her head. She had to escape! It was clear that she couldn't break free under her own power, so Wendy looked for a little bit of help. Sticking out from dry land, the resourceful outdoorswoman spotted the arms of a colossal redwood.

 _"With some luck, that can be a decent anchor. And if it breaks, well…"_

She pushed all negativity down into the pit of her stomach. Wendy swayed the whip over her head, using it as a make-shift lasso.

"Ugh!"

The braided thong wrapped tightly around a higher branch. She tested the line, ensuring the hold was secure before putting her entire weight on it. Wendy strained, pulling down hard, with both hands clutching the whip's handle. The harsh leather chapped her palms, even though the protection of the durable gloves. She felt the mud-fists constrict tighter around her ankles. The mini-mud monsters lurked even closer. Her heart sunk as Wendy heard the sound of wood cracking somewhere above her.

 _"Almost…there…."_

*POP!*

With one last tug, Wendy was finally able to squeeze out of the muddy grip. She flew past the juvenile muck children who brushed her with their oozy mitts. At the peak of her swing, Wendy fell back to earth, directly into front of the enormous tree she owed her life.

"Thank – Thank heavens it's – BAHHHH!"

Before the exhausted lumberjack princess could even stand up, another monstrosity stemmed from the base of the redwood. _A faceless humanoid poked out from the bark, stretching out for Wendy with branch-like fingers._ She dropped back to avoid its range, bringing her dangerously close to the mud bank.

 _"oooooooooooh…"_

Wendy snapped her head up just in time. More muck hands had appeared on the surface of the river, each desperately wishing to drag the worn fighter back into a gooey imprisonment. Sitting upright, Wendy was cornered on both ends. With her whip still tangled in the tree, she yanked down on the cord, knowing she didn't stand a chance unarmed.

*KKKKRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKK!*

By fortunate accident, the branch Wendy had attached herself gave way, crashing down and smooshing the human-shaped tree spirit. She winched at the disgusting open wound that had been left on the tree's stem, as sickly green oozed down to the grass.

With whip at the ready, Wendy hurried upwards and past the constant threats. She rocked about, going from foot to foot, seeking out any possible detail out of place. The last few minutes hit a nerve among the usually cool-headed cashier. This universe had taken a surrounding that Wendy had adored all her life – a safe haven that she relied on to find solace when things at home became too hectic. And somehow, this mockery had managed to pervert with nearly every aspect, turning the beautiful and tranquil into the deadly and lethal.

"I mean, what's next?" Wendy asked, pointing at a random shrub filled with luscious green leaves. "Is some kind of magic being going to come stomping out of the bushes and try to bite my head off?!"

*Grrr…*

As per her sarcastic remark, the greenery swirled and reorganized itself on its own accord, shifting about into the shape of a hefty person. Its skin formed entirely of leaves; it strode with a slant to the still-stunned Wendy. A gurgling sound came from the slit in its mid-section, which served as its mouth.

"Oh!" Wendy threw her whip-arm back, "For the love of – "

*KR-ACK!*

With one blow, the monster was neutralized. Its leafy remains floated away on the night breeze. Refusing to take any more chances, Wendy ran at high speed to the forest's exit. She knew by doing so, she was put certainly at risk, but she didn't care.

 _"Anything to get out of this nightmare…"_

After a few minutes of sprinting, Wendy slowed her pace. She had reached the forest's edge. The new path led downhill into a well-kept courtyard. Tacky classical sculptures and busts littered a thinned-out lawn. The cobblestoned road appeared to lead up to the castle's front door.

Wendy took her time to admire the abstract art. The open area left a sneak attack nearly impossible.

 _"Considering that everything is mowed and super trimmed, I doubt that there are too many tree demons here."_ She walked past a marble statue of a young woman draped in a Greek-styled toga. "Sheesh!" Wendy scoffed. "It's like something Stan would have if he had serious money."

Her emerald eyes lit up upon identifying the next landmark. "Nice! Couldn't have come at a better time!"

A remarkable European fountain had set up in the epicenter of the piazza. Consisting of several layers, crystal-clear water poured down from the wedding-cake-like design, originating from an effigy of a winged female angel at the very top. Strangely enough, the liquid flowed from the cherub's eyes, with each side equally filling the level beneath to the point of overflowing. Such continued until the bottom, where a filtration system prevented a single drop of water from splashing on the ground. A golden plaque in the middle revealed the fountain's name.

 _"'Tears of an Angel.' Makes sense to me."_

Wendy glanced downwards. Due to her struggles, she had been caked from the knees down in the recently-possessed mud. Despite the goo being dried and fragmented in some places, she assumed that it would be best to remove the odd substance as soon as possible.

 _"The very last thing I need is to get any of that crap squirming around inside of my boots."_ The mere thought made her dotted skin crawl.

Wendy sat at the ledge of the fountain's lowest level and dipped a cupped hand into the water. She emptied her palm over her legs, using both arms to wipe away all trace of the muck. Pleased, the clerk cleaned her hands off in the smoothed flow, remembering that she had gotten some of the goo on her face and hair during her battles.

Closing her eyes, Wendy scooped up a dual-handful of water and smeared it against her forehead, nose, cheeks, and mouth. Yet, something seemed off. The water had become more solid and gummy between her fingers. It had gained a sour and unusually bitter smell.

Unaware of what was happening, Wendy reopened her eyes. Gazing into her hands, she screamed to the top of her lungs – not in fear or terror, but in pure outrage.

 _The water in Wendy's palms had been turned to blood._

 _"What?!"_ Wendy frantically wiped the gore on her armor, finding that she couldn't rid herself of the red stains on her hands. She rubbed her forearms into her face, praying that it wouldn't be left with similar markings, while spitting onto the ground in hope that none had entered her mouth.

 _"But how – how?"_

She gazed back to the fountain. Sure enough, gallons of thick red plasma drizzled down from layer to layer in a never-ending loop. The angel centerpiece at the top wept the colored substance, leaving red streak down its perfectly crafted dimples.

 _"Bloody tears…cute, real cute…"_

Wendy peeked over the ledge, spying her reflection staring back at her in the pool. Due to the red shade, she was not able to tell if all of the blood had been removed from her face. Suddenly, small ripples spread across the pool, making Wendy squint harder in locating the source.

"What the hell is – "

*SPLASH!*

Something sprung up from the dead pool and grabbed Wendy by the shoulders. Before she knew what had happened, the teen was face-to-face with a blood red skeleton. It released a startling shriek from its opened jaw, inadvertently spraying Wendy with even more crimson.

"AAH! You…bastard!"

Repulsion lead to anger as Wendy freed her left arm. With one swoop, she reached up, clamped her hand into the skeleton's skull and slammed it with full force into the marble ledge.

*SPLAT!*

Unlike the other skeletons, the red variant changed to a smashed goop before slithering back into the fountain's mass. Horrified, Wendy stepped back from the fountain and stared at her still-soaked red hand.

 _"What's the deal with this place? It doesn't have any rhyme or reason to it."_ Wendy looked to her right, to the ever-beckoning doors of the eerie castle. _"All I know is that things keep getting worse the closer I'm getting to that castle. It feels like something out there is trying to keep me from reaching those doors."_

She proudly snapped the whip within her hands.

 _"Well, isn't that too bad…"_

*AIEEEEEEEEE!*

Wendy twirled around, seeing that two more blood-drenched skeletons appeared in the fountain's lower pool. With a flick of her wrist, the leather whip propelled though both fiends with a wet *SLOSH!* Instead of exploding into flame, the bones became two dark scarlet stains on the fountain's edge.

 _"Gross…"_

Left disgusted, Wendy set her sights on the front doors of the castle. As she went back to the paved street, a strange boiling caused her ears to perk up. Wendy glanced back at the fountain, seeing that the red puddles were blistering rapidly.

 _"Uh Oh! That's anything but good…"_

Wendy watched as the blemishes started to become solid again. A bony arm came up first, followed by an ever-expanding ribcage. The sinister, grinning façade centered on the stunned explorer as the rest of its body regenerated.

Within seconds, the bloody skeletons had reformed. Before Wendy could take action, the skinless corpses had climbed out of the fountain, their bodies leaving a messy trail behind them.

 _"Well that's just swell. They're even faster…"_

*S-MACK!*

With another whip-lash, both atrocities were sent back to a liquescent state.

 _"Another two-fer for Wendy-girl! Hopefully, they – "_

*BOP – BOP – BOP – BOP!*

The skeletons had regrown their physical forms much quicker this time.

 _"…won't stay down no matter what I do…"_

In stark contrast to their graveyard equivalent, the slushy bone-men raced after their freckled target without hesitation. Thrown off by their advances, Wendy turned tail and ran for the shelter of the castle. Again, she was somewhat bothered by having to flee from another battle, but knew that the battle couldn't go on forever.

At last, Wendy crossed the castle's threshold. She still heard the rattling of the red skeletons drawing near. The athletic young adult pitched her weight against the sturdy iron door to her right. It gently clicked into place.

*CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK!*

Wendy flew to the left and used both hands to close the other half. Her boots dug into the much-softer floor as the metal door moved inch-by-inch. The jangling of the cadavers was almost upon her. Determined, Wendy let out a tensed cry, using every ounce of strength she had left to seal the entry.

*C-LICK!*

With the double doors locked, Wendy's body went numb. She collapsed into the soft rug with a gentle bump. Resting her forehead on her knees, the drained teen used the back of her hand to clear away the now-icy running sweat. There wasn't any clamor coming from the other side of the entrance. _"That's so odd. It's almost like…"_ Wendy realized. _"…that they meant to herd me into here."_

 _"This is all kind of nuts!"_ She looked down her bruised armor, now blemished with traces of mud and blood. _"I'd hate to admit it, but I'm already bushed."_ Wendy gazed into the murkiness awaiting her challenge.

 _"And what's really screwed up? "_ She took a deep breath. _"I've only just arrived…"_

* * *

*FLICK!*

A foreign sound echoed through the castle's halls. The hallway became illuminated with light. The row of candles had magically reappeared through the chamber to offer assistance. With a renewed burst of energy, Wendy was back on her feet and ready to resume her quest.

The conditioning of the castle's foyer left it clear that no living soul that taken up residence for quite some time. Gaudy white and purple-swirled wallpaper had been plastered all over the walls. Tears in the covering exposed brown cinderblock.

Ten-foot-tall windows placed every few yards gave a view of the outside world. Divided by thinning muntins, the long glass was caked with a dusty film. The small cracks and fissures allowed the warm breeze inside the cold, gloomy hall. Nearby lengthy red curtains were tied off and torn into shreds as attacked by sharpened claws.

 _"Must be some kitty…"_

The stone columns supporting the ceiling had been severely damaged. Wendy wasn't able to tell if it was due to some type of attack or simply old age taking effect.

 _"Either way, I better watch out for those things. All I'd need is to bump into a pillar and have part of the roof fall on my head."_

Just ahead, something was flickering within the shadows behind one of the supports. She carefully snuck toward, her footsteps the only sound heard in the hallway.

"GAAAAAH!"

 _A figure covered in a violet garb rushed out from the darkness with arms raised high. Its colorless face was a distorted mish-mash, with crooked eyes and bent nose. The lack of noise in its movement left Wendy curious if it actually touched the ground. Its mouth was forever fixed into a rounded, opened circle that constantly wailed without end._

"Man!" Wendy pulled the leather whip back. "Shut up already!"

*W-MACK!*

The ghoul imploded into a bright orange fire before fading out of existence. As Wendy relaxed back onto her heels, another distressing whine came from behind her.

 _"Again?!"_

Three more cloaked beings rushed at her, each waving their limbs and howling loudly throughout the foyer.

*W-MACK!* *W-MACK!* *W-MACK!*

Wendy readily whipped the specters into dust. However, her concern went beyond that of the ghouls. "How'd they sneak up behind me like that? Did they manage to get the doors open?" The auburn-haired girl's jaw dropped at the sight in front of her.

"But – that's impossible!"

 _The entrance leading into the castle had completely vanished_. Wendy now faced a bricked-off wall, complete with the same ugly white and purple wallpaper that peeled in several places.

 _"This – this can't be right! I know damned well I came in this way. And now, it looks like it's been wrecked up for years!"_

"GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Wendy grit her teeth as she returned to the main path. More caped ghoulies hasted with hands raised and screams entirely off-key. Wendy winced at the torturous vocal as she fought though the new ghostly arrivals.

*W-MACK!*

"You'd think – "

*W-MACK!*

"That they'd – "

*W-MACK!*

"Learn to be on-key!"

*W-MACK!*

With the carpeted road cleared, Wendy moved on from the scene. The grating moaning swiftly resumed as _dozens_ of ghouls arose from the dark ether where the double doors once lied. Easily able to outrun her pursuers, the armored cashier could see a twisting staircase leading to an upper level of the foyer.

 _"Definitely taking the high road this time…"_ Wendy planned, remembering the mud trap incident. She skipped halfway up the stairs, wavering for a split-second to regain her footing. The simple-designed steps were plain black with no supports or hand railings to be found.

 _"Totally bizzaro world. The weirdo who built this thing probably hoped I'd fall off. Good luck to that!"_

Much to Wendy's delight, the ghouls chasing after her completely ignored the elevated devour. The hordes stormed pass the stairway and back into murky obscurity. With the threat gone, Wendy climbed up to the top of the steps

 _"Phew! I've lost them."_ She soon wondered. _"Could they have followed me up if they wanted to? I don't think they even had feet."_

"PUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRR…"

The growl made Wendy look front and center. A small, onyx sphere rested at the end of the platform. The oddity slept over a second flight of stairs leading back to ground level.

 _"Of course, this thing has to block the way! I wouldn't imagine – "_

Wendy froze up as the black ball poked up and out, making her wonder if it could hear her thoughts. _Long, powerful legs curved and gave the creature much needed height. Another matching pair moved forward, displaying pointed claws at their ends. Red eyes traced Wendy's every movements as a pink tongue licked its cleft lips. A thinning tail waved upon in the air._

 _She swallowed aloud as the mass took the image of a black panther._

*ROWW!*

Without warning, the dangerous wild cat sprinted towards Wendy at full speed. Instinct overcame panic as her knees bent in preparation. She had been in this situation when adventuring in around her family's cabin. Her emerald eyes narrowed, "Have to…time this just right…NOW!"

As the panther was about to strike, Wendy performed a back flip, taking her out of danger's reach, and returning her safely on her feet as the black cat ran off the edge. It didn't as much as stop upon hitting the ground, continuing its sprint like it hadn't missed its target.

Wendy stood upright, seeing the beast disappear beyond her sight. She proudly snickered, "Sorry, Mr. Puma. The mountain lions 'round my home couldn't get me, and neither could you."

The voyager went downstairs, ready for whatever supernatural danger roamed below. To her shock, the bottom floor was clear of any present danger. _"Where'd all the monsters go?"_ Wendy discovered that the lower path had been blocked off with another solid wall.

 _"So, that's why this part is empty. But was this thing always here? Or did it just miraculously appear like the one at the exit?"_

Nevertheless, Wendy restarted her journey through the thrashed foyer. She took pause, catching something with a golden shine out the corner of her eye.

 _"What?!"_

Wendy looked out the shattered window to her left. Any ounce of light had been stripped away from the night sky. The gentle wind had grown harsh, whirling the treetops around violently.

 _"All this weirdness must be getting to me."_ The extra-tall young adult shivered. _"I could have sworn something was watching me from the other side."_

At the end of the hall, another stairwell led upwards. Just as Wendy set foot on it, she noticed that the steps were cracked down the center.

 _"Rats!"_

To Wendy's right, a progression of two-pieced blocks overlapped one another, offering an alternative to the top. She vaulted from brick to brick without rest until reaching the ledge.

*HUFF-PUFF!*

 _"Made it! Oh, what gives?!"_

A heavy oak-wood door with steel trimmings was embedded in the solid wall. Wendy searched around, but couldn't find a knob or handle to open it. Frustrated, she smacked the door with the side of her fist.

*BLAM!*

 _"Darn it! This thing is so dense, I couldn't kick it down if I tried. There's gotta be a way through…"_

*SCREE! SCREE! SCREE!*

"AHH!" Wendy fell back as she was attacked by a familiar-looking black tornado. The moving wave circled below the ceiling as she made it back to her knees.

 _"It's…those damned bats again!"_

The separated specks blended together as their speed increases. Wendy raised her head, baffled by what was happening, as the bats stopped at the far end of the roof, seemingly becoming one massive blot.

"Is that it?" She set a hand on her hip. "Did they fall asleep or something?"

*SCREE! SCREE! SCREE!*

 _The bats' screeching grew deeper, resonating throughout the destroyed hall. Wendy was flabbergasted as they moved as one, unleashing two colossal wings with razor-tipped thumbs on each end. Its coiled talons dug deeper into the roof, cracking it and releasing paint crumbs into the ground. It whizzed its neck up and roared down at Wendy, a mixture of blood and saliva dripping down from its vast fangs._

"Big bat!" Wendy readied her whip in anticipation. "Really big bat!"

*SCREEEEEE!*

It dove down from its perch at an alarming rate, unhinging its jaws to take a bite out of the ginger's shoulder. Wendy dodged at the last moment, launching her weapon into its furry hide. It cried out in agony, swerving away from danger and reverting back into the company of small bats. When recovered, the black flock coalesced in the gargantuan vampire bat. Its ruby eyes locked onto Wendy, as the pink mouth opened, showing off a red glow.

*FFFFFRRRRRRRR!*

The bat released a three-way fireball aimed directly at the platform. There was no way for Wendy to dodge the incoming flaming projectile from her current location. She somersaulted from the blocks and to the lower level, landing on one knee.

*WHHHHRRRRRLLLLL*!

 _"The hell – "_ Wendy could hear an unusual buzzing coming from above. The bat twirled its wings around like a drill's rotating blades. As the points came crashing down, the girl threw herself beneath the floating slabs, safe from the sharpened tips as they dug pass the carpeting and into the concrete below, discharging a hailstorm of debris into the air.

"Whoa!"

Wendy covered her head, hearing the pieces of floor bang on the shelter. She lowered her hands as the drilling came to a halt. _"Now's my chance!"_

*KR-ACK!*

She rolled out of the crevice, using the momentum to further her whip. The tip smacked the bat's moist nose, making it growl with torment. Once more, it exploded backwards, into the swarm of smaller bats. Their multiple squeaks turned angry, the soaring corpus rebounded off the wall, zooming at Wendy with unparalleled speed as they swiftly reassembled.

Before she could react, Wendy found herself nose-to-nose with the gigantic vampire bat.

*SMACK!*

 _"Oof!"_

The aerial nemesis swatted its lightweight target with its wing like would a household pest. Wendy was hurled up and on the upper platform. Although dizzied, she sat up from her sprawled-out state, noticing a large gash in the front of her chest plate. Thankfully, it didn't break through to her skin.

From her seated position, Wendy saw the overgrown vermin flapping about, waiting for her next move.

 _"I – I know I have to get those baby bats to put this thing down, but the whip can't reach. If only I had something that did…"_

A glimmer drew Wendy's attention to one of the candles hovering over her head. There was something hidden between the waxy white parts. The redhead didn't question, knowing that by now, it would be foolish to do. Instead, she smacked the candle with her whip, sending the shining object to earth.

Wendy seized the item, her eyes beaming as she held it with a gentle touch. _"Oh, wow…"_

A sterling silver battle axe had been sealed within the dual-candle. The double-edged head was sharpened and polished to a fine point. Its eye had been pointed-tipped like a dagger. The same ending was given to the axe's pommel, at the end of its strapped grip.

"Dad always said that this would happen one day…" Wendy tightened her fingers around the handle. "And I'll admit it – totally feeling the "axe-envy" here…"

The bellow of the monster-bat brought her mind back into the fight. It swooped down towards her yet again, with its hard-nailed toes aimed for her neck. Wendy hoisted the axe pass her side and swiped the bat's fur-covered hide. Its wounded yelps shook the entire foyer as it reverted into its multi-bat state, fleeing away the armed teenager.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Raising the blade as high as she could, Wendy held it back and released the axe into the flustering mess. To her astonishment, the weapon quadrupled in size, its spinning blades colliding with the living black mist, reducing it to flaming pixels.

*THUNK!*

The giant axe was implanted in the rooftop, well out of Wendy's reach. She pouted at the loss, kicking at the ground, "Aww!"

*SLAM!*

Wendy jumped at the loud bang behind her. The wooden door had been flung open, allowing passage into the next part of the castle. As soon as she walked through the opening, it slammed shut, leaving her locked in this new corridor.

*CLICK!*

 _"And that's that…"_ Wendy remarked. The new area was left in a total state of disarray. Unlike the previously furnished foyer, this area was seemingly ignored by the castle's owner. The walls were left bare with mildewed bricks; the mortar holding them together was poorly placed and never even in one spot. A cool draft came from open windows placed near the ceiling. They too, had been left exposed to the elements, as their ledges had eroded with time.

Ahead, another staircase led to a darkened sublevel. The shadow had been cast by a looming stone divider. The countless cracks and chips along it led Wendy to believe that someone had tried to scale it and ultimately failed.

 _"The marks look like they got 'bout halfway up."_ She recognized while heading to the stairs. _"It's not worth taking – GAH!"_

The lumberjane flinched as something dropped from the sky, landing at her feet after a single bounce. She lowered her guard, finding a rounded yellow object lying on the ground. Bewildered, Wendy looked up, wondering if part of the ceiling had collapsed. If was only when she glanced back at the weird object did Wendy realize that _it was staring at her_.

 _"H-H-Holy crap!"_

 _The front of the golden sphere opened, revealing a bloodshot blue eyeball. With its veins budging, the titanic pupil followed Wendy's every move. Its constant writhing and squishing added to her growing nausea._

 _The eyeball began to float off the ground, forcing Wendy to take a precautionary step back. A chain attached to its backside clattered with its every dip and rise._ After a few moments of watching it flying around, she impatiently crossed her arms. "No chance you're a friendly ghost, are ya?"

The edges of the peeping eye glowed a bright white, as it lowered its creepy brow at Wendy. She steadied herself, letting the whip rest along the ground. "That's gonna be a "no," right?"

*ZAP!*

A laser beam came rocketing out of the deadly eye. Wendy jumped into the air to dodge the blast, launching her whip diagonally into the ghostly eyeball, making it whimper quietly as it blinked repeatedly to clear its vision.

"There!" Wendy prided upon landing. "Maybe that'll teach you to try to cheap shot me – OUCH!"

She groaned as her right shoulder started to burn. Wendy patted around, feeling the extensive heat from the blow. A small hole was now in her armor pad. In her cockiness, she hadn't notice the laser beam was actually a homing shot; upon her dodge, it circled back around and stung her in the back.

 _"Why, you little – "_

Wendy stomped to the eyeball, still holding her wound. To her surprise, the smaller creature waved its chain-link tail at her, entangling it around her whip-holding wrist.

"H-H-Hold on! You can't – "

The eye-monster took to the skies, dragging Wendy along for the ride. She tried digging her heels into the floor to no prevail. Soon, she was in mid-air, the metal brand cutting off the circulation in her hand. Her spinning body bumped into the solid barricade, scraping her flesh as she was tugged upwards.

"So…annoying…" Wendy stressed, pulling her free hand back and making a fist. "This…ends…NOW!"

*POW!*

She threw a haymaker deep into the soft eye-tissue, discharging a small flow of tears and pus. "Yuck!" The flying menace was soon engulfed in flames, starting at the top and down to its metal tail. Wendy soon plummeted to earth, crashing loudly against the unfinished floor.

*SLAM!*

"Ohh…" The dazed fighter gradually got up, clutching her side. The purple mail saved her ribs from being shattered upon impact, leaving them slightly bruised instead. "Not my most brilliant hour, but…"

Wendy used the brick wall to help herself back up. Her fingers traced upon a weird indentation. "It feels like a crack, but it's different – almost like someone sealed over it. Hmm…"

*W-MACK!*

The fake covering splintered into pieces, leaving a pile of dust and powder. Inside, a freshly-cooked mutton chop had been left lying in its own juices on a spotless white glass plate. Judging by its appearance, the chunk of red meat had been charred over an open flame for a period of time, making it well done.

Oddly, no trace of the layering materials was found anywhere near the boned-in chop. It looked like it had been cooked fresh instead of being stashed away in a hollow hideaway. The mere smell of the meal gave Wendy hunger pains. She tapped the tip of the bone with her index finger, her mind debating with her belly, before common sense took control.

"What am I doing?" Wendy cleared her mind, refocusing on the task at hand. _"Only a complete and utter moron would eat anything from this universe, yet alone something hidden in a wall!"_ She sneered and turned her back on the morsel. "And this coming from someone who's had to hunt for her own food before…"

The only place left to go was the corridor under the top floor, where the light of the candles barely reached. Inside, a lone torch offered a meager beacon, leading the way to another flight of descending stairs.

 _"Yay, more stairs!"_ Wendy sarcastically commented, rolling her eyes as she took it step-by-step. " _I swear, it feels like this castle is straight out of an Escher painting…"_

Once at the bottom, a small cliff seemingly led into a pit of darkness. Wendy couldn't make out anything below the ledge, save for the small glow of the enchantingly-set candles. She loudly exhaled, taking a brave step off the ledge and into the unknown.

*PHUD!*

Wendy landed on a moistened footpath. The sound of rapid, running water packed her eardrums. The stench of black mold came from every angle.

 _"Man, this just keeps getting weirder and weirder, don't it?"_

She had arrived at a half-finished bridge built over a streaming river. It had several gaps left wide open, where a wrong step could mean a deep plunge into the cloudy waters underneath. Familiar-looking columns voyaged from the ceiling into the depths. A coating of green moss gathered where the flow lapped. Wendy speculated if they were the same pillars from upstairs.

Due to the nonsensical openings in the bridge, the redheaded monster hunter could see a number of torn-through steel gates installed along the fluid dark-blue abyss.

 _"Oh, man. That's some serious damage. What's strong enough to tear up solid metal like that? Or more importantly, what were those barriers trying to keep out?"_

Pushing her doubts aside, Wendy leapt from the broken bridge piece into the next. The soaked path forced her to skid to come to a stop as a black shadow shot up from the river.

*SPLASH!*

Wendy pulled herself back, falling onto her elbows, as the wave of water returned to its source, leaving behind a ghastly being that towered over her. _A pink-scaled amphibian merman waddled towards Wendy on webbed feet. It raised its meshed hands up and outwards, its every finger possessing a sharpened claw. Such protected a dirty-white underbelly, made up of a thinner section of hardened scales._

 _The face was that of a fish, complete with curved, wide lips and adjoining gills on both sides of its head. Jagged orange tips traveled down from its crown down its spine. However, its intimidating red eyes were that of a human. They focused down at the fallen teenager with utter disdain._

Its cheeks grew somewhat puffy; a peculiar spectacle that caught Wendy's concern.

 _"That ain't good, is it?"_

*SPEW!*

The fish-man spit a vile lime-green substance at Wendy, driving her to backpedal on her hands. She used her boots to kick off the ground as the spray smacked the ground between her legs. Her eyes widened as the liquid ate away at the ground, leaving behind a quarter-sized hole in the bridge.

"Hey!" Wendy exclaimed. "A bit rude, don't cha' think?!"

The river creature's jaw began to swell up again. Ready for the attack, Wendy tightened her hand around her whip and waited for her moment to strike. Just as the merman opened its lips, the nimble pugilist tumbled out of range; the acidic discharge flew, missing her copper locks. Wendy bent her knees and sprang up, snapping her whip into the monster's chest.

*GAAARRRLLL!*

The slimy body detonated into a flaming mess, leaving behind a heap of ashes and pixels.

"Sorry, fella." Wendy proudly flicked her bangs out of her eyes. "But you have to be faster on the draw to get me – "

She stopped in place as another yellow- green loogie came zooming pass her neck. It hit a few feet away, sizzling at the heavy wood. Wendy spun around, finding another fish-man waiting at the previous island.

 _"Dammit!"_ She cursed herself. _"That was way too close for comfort! But should I hop back to take care of this guy?"_

*SPLASH!*

A third merman made the decision for Wendy as it flew past the river's surface, landing directly in front of her exit. It scratched the open-air with its clawed hands, a simple, but powerful gesture to what would happen if she dared challenged the furious water-beast.

"Taking a hands-on approach, eh?" Wendy provided her own example, cracking the whip against the ground, the sound reverberating throughout the underground lair. "I'm game if you are!"

*SPEW!*

Knowing that sound, Wendy immediately dropped to earth. She looked up, seeing another green spray shoot past her, striking the fish-being instead. The predator screamed as its upper half melted into a combination of runny pink goo and pixel chunks. The remaining lower portion tipped over and back into the river.

 _"Eww…"_

*FLOP!*

Still on one knee, Wendy heard the other merman leap across. Its squelching footsteps were a dead giveaway. The careful high schooler kept still, wanting to give her attacker a false element of surprise. Wendy could sense the cold-blooded killer drawing ever nearer.

*KR-ACK!*

The fish creature never saw the leathery flash coming. Wendy had snapped the whip over her left shoulder, catching the merman's neck. It clutched at its throat, as gurgling noise came from its mouth before dissolving into fire.

"Now…" Wendy rose to her feet. "If there's anyone else…"

*BUB – BUB – BUB – BUB…*

Numerous groups of bubbles appeared in the river on both sides of the channel. By her quick count, Wendy could spot no less than a dozen different foaming loads slowly heading in her direction.

"…I will be definitely taking my leave!"

She fled the scene, looking back to ensure she wasn't followed, or spat at at worst. Wendy looked back ahead, just as she was about to walk off the broken overpass.

"WHOA!"

Wendy threw her leg and arms back to keep from failing in. The bubbling was getting closer. She stared far pass the void, finding that there was no way across.

*BUB – BUB – BUB – BUB…*

 _"But there has to be a way!"_ Wendy freaked out as she became desperate for an escape. _"There just has to!"_

She paused, seeing something coming from beyond the gap. A thin black platform came into range, floating above the river without any hint of external support. It stopped in front of the cliffside, like it was waiting for Wendy to climb aboard.

"Um…" She set an unsteady foot on the support. "You're like, part of the bridge, right?"

*SPLASH!*

*SPLASH!*

*SPLASH!*

Three more mermen jumped into the wooden remains. They blindly combed about from their quarry, finding her at the landing's end. The scaly creatures licked their fanged chompers in anticipation of the fresh meal, marching in unison towards their goal.

"Mmm…" Wendy bit her lip. Sensing as the board began to move underfoot, she fully stepped into the floating lift as it took off. A single slip on any end would equal a quick plunge into the icy waters. Confined within the strict border, the overly-anxious teen tried looking her shoulder, finding a group of fish people angrily growling at the end of the collapsed bridge. Their scaled cheeks were puffed up like small balloons.

"Ah, son of a – "

*SPEW!*

*SPEW!*

*SPEW!*

Wendy circled into a ball to dodge the barrage of acidic loogies. Resting on the balls of her feet, she held up her jacket up over her head, protecting her upper body from damage. Not daring to peek back, the ginger could hear countless missed spit-takes splashed into the water. She let out a muffled cry, unsure if the burning sensations she felt were actually real or her mind playing tricks on her.

Abruptly, the plopping came to a halt, prompting Wendy to poke out from shelter. "Is it over? WAH!"

She ducked back down, just in time to avoid having her head taken off by a low-hanging stalactite. Wendy held herself even tighter, left to wonder in the dark when this ride would come to an end.

After what seemed like an eternity, the hovering platform came to another stop. Wendy carefully looked around, discovering that she was on the other end of the chasm. She could feel the flying piece of bridge start to move again.

"Hey! Hey! Hold up a sec, okay?!" Wendy hopped into the new piece of solid land. Before she could spin around, the enchanted support was already on its way back across the pond. A deep incline made of pebbles and gravel led further in the cavern. The accustomed signal from the enchanted candles below only strengthened her resolve to go further into the castle.

"UHP!" Wendy slew down the slope at full blast, the arches of her boots tearing apart the rocky dirt as she passed. She stumbled at the bottom before catching herself. _"Oh! Almost nailed it!"_

She had arrived at a makeshift mausoleum carved out of the catacombs beneath the castle's foundation. Its orange-brown walling contained innumerable plaques and _commemorations each created in honor of a lost soul. The limited lighting and old conditioning left them near-impossible to read._

 _"The real mystery is if all these folks checked out when their number's up, or did someone punch their card for them?"_

Wendy took her time as she went through the underground burial plot. She figured that such a place would be the perfect spot for another paranormal ambush. Yet, the sudden change in surroundings left Wendy somewhat puzzled.

 _"This is such a waste, man! Whoever owns this castle has this killer basement, and instead of doing something cool with it, they just fill it with dead people! And even that's done half-assed if ya ask me…"_

But to her shock, all of the structures were kept quiet. Even the largest article in the room, a human-sized sarcophagus, didn't move as much as an inch upon her presence. At the chamber's end, another sturdy door stood in Wendy's way, keeping her restricted within the small chamber.

 _"Again with the giant doors?"_ She rattled the heavy-iron handle, realizing that she was barely strong enough to lift it. _"What's it this time 'round? Secret knock?"_ Wendy danced her knuckles against the oak in a rhythmic fashion, "Shave…and a…hair cut…two bits!"

*C-C-C-C-REAK!*

Her blood ran cold as something opened from behind. A decayed hand had parted the seal on the sarcophagus, wedging it loose. Wendy kept a steady hand over the coiled whip at her belt, ready for whatever was coming next.

The top was torn wholly off with one last thrust. _A tall mummy came forth from its centuries-old resting place, dressed in yellowed bandages from head to toe. A few uncovered spots gave a glimpse of a thinning body of blackened, dead flesh. Two piercing white eyes bugged out of its rounded face. An opened, unhinged mandible displayed row after row of cracked, fragmented teeth. The bandages dug into a hole where its nose had sat._

It reached out for Wendy with a hand comprising of bent and severed fingers, lurking at a sluggish speed to the disconcerted girl. With an assertive scoff, she soared in battle with whip drawn. "Hey, bandages!" She struck the ground with her weapon. "Let's wrap! Get it?"

The Egyptian cadaver pulled its left arm back before lounging it out in Wendy's direction. The bandages on its hand came alive, spiraling and snaking towards her, provoking the redhead to take action.

"Stay back!" Wendy threw the whip out, its sharp tip split the link connecting the mummy to the living bandages. But it was too late. The wrappings looped around Wendy's shoulders, pinning her right-whipping hand to her chest. Her left arm was still able to move slightly, but not much more beyond up and down.

The abnormal binding effect bought Wendy down to her knees. She struggled to break free of the casing, mumbling and swearing under her breath the whole while. While they appeared ancient, the bandages were as resilient and tight as freshly laid ones. The loose whip dangling from beneath them graced her legs as it bounced about with her wild thrashes.

 _It was like someone had placed a straightjacket down over Wendy's upper body._

An intimating grouse forced her to cease her breakout. The mummy had caught up with her. Both rotting hands were lowering themselves downwards. Wendy flashed an embarrassed smile, "I – I know I said "let's rap," but I'm going to guess you're not one for sarcasm, right?"

The yellow-coated cadaver's eyes turned from clear white to a shining ruby red. Its lifeless expression curled into an aggravated, vicious glare. Dual laser beams came blasting out of the mummy's eyes, burning its way through the soil.

 _"Big no!"_ Wendy pressed off the bottoms of her boots and rolled into a running start, fleeing to safety on the opposite side of the room. _"Definite no!"_ She could hear the earth being ripped apart behind her. Soon, Wendy came to a stop, blocked again by the wooden door. The buzzing of the laser beams grew louder and closer.

Unsure of what to do, Wendy double-checked the walling around the door, hoping to find another way out. Seeing the bricked patterning gave her an idea. She saw the red beams approaching fast. At the last second, Wendy took a step back and jumped into the wall, using the motion to force herself up and over, flipping past the lasers as they zapped the thick door. The deadly projectiles vanished after missing their mark. She touched-down, producing a small dirt cloud under her knee. Wendy presented the much-slower monster with another prideful grin. "And check that out! With no hands, too!"

Unimpressed, the mummy released another irate groan. It turned its hands palms side up and crossed its wrists before bringing them back up to shoulder height. An uneasy green glow surrounded its body. The floor under Wendy's feet shook fiercely, making her lose balance. "W-W-Watch it!"

Before she could stand up, three massive slabs rose up from the earth. Each was weirdly crafted with near-perfect detail. The edges were sanded and smoothed finely. The sides were coupled by a series of hieroglyphics that Wendy couldn't even begin to understand.

One by one, the chunks closed in on Wendy. There wasn't any room to slide through or step aside. Soon, she was up against the back wall, seconds away from being bludgeoned to death. An opened space near the top of the highest block gave the crafty adventurer a last-ditch battle plan.

 _"Maybe I can't go pass, but who says I can't go up?"_

Fortuitously, the narrowing slabs were not aligned in exact succession. The spacing between made them seem like giant steps leading up an invisible flight of stairs.

 _"Least I don't need my arms for this – UGH!"_

Wendy bounced on top of the first block, fighting to maintain her center of balance. The thin space between barely allowed her to set her foot down. The speed of the structures increased, getting closer to the brick wall with every passing instant.

"Harder! Than it looks!"

Using only her bound shoulders and her legs, Wendy arrived on the top piece. The lower squares didn't collide with the wall; instead, they meshed into it like warm putty, becoming one. Wendy quickened her pace to avoid such a fate. She noticed that the mummy had followed along with its mystical spell, unintentionally positioning itself below the wedges.

 _"Now, isn't that perfect?"_ Wendy prepared herself what came next, trying her best to line things up in her head. She flew from the highest block, leading off with legs extended, shouted loudly:

"Geronimo!"

Wendy landed on the mummy's shoulders; the impact of the blow bent its knees slightly. Seeing how ineffective her surprise drop was, she went to jump off the monster's shoulders. "LEAPFROG! Huh?!"

Before she could get away, the ethereal wraith snagged Wendy's ankle, bringing her to a halt in mid-air. The mummy used its incredible strength by slamming the nimble acrobat onto the floor, robbing her of all breath. As Wendy coughed and gasped for air, the bandaged colossus, still holding her leg, plucked her up from the ground, only to hurdle her across the room.

"WHOA-A-A-A-A-A-A!"

*SLAM!*

Smacking the wall with great velocity, Wendy slumped down to the catacombs flooring, panting excessively to regain her breath. She used her restricted hand to check around for severe injuries.

 _"Good…nothing broken. At least on the outside. Heaven knows what's up internally…"_

Another slowed holler forced Wendy to look up. The powerful lob had fortunately created a large amount of distance between her and the lumbering goon.

 _"Never look a gift horse in the mouth…"_ Wendy rocked back into her knees, and shifted her shoulders, trying to rip the bindings off her. _"I'm a sitting duck like this. Yeech! I swear, they don't make band-aids like this anymore. Wish I still had my hatchet to slice these things…"_

As Wendy wiggled for freedom, she recognized a stand-out in the row of candles providing the chamber with light. The center-most torch above her contained a familiar glow hidden within. In a huff, Wendy leaned forward and kicked upwards, bumping the candle with her heel.

*PLOP!*

A solid gold dagger fell from the flowing wax. The knife's edge was perfected constructed without a single nick or blemish to be found. A soft-brown hilt had been set below a set of curled guards on each side. The handle had been topped off with a red jewel.

"Way too fancy for my tastes…" Wendy griped, snatching the dagger up with her left hand. "But it'll do nicely." With her range limited, she held the blade against her back and ran it across her restraints.

"That's it, baby…" She closed her eyes, relying on instinct and training to guide the way. "We're almost there…"

*EERRRRRRRRR!*

The reek of fungi and rot invaded Wendy's personal space. She opened her eyes, finding the mummy in striking distance. It growled down at her, its half-wrapped hands headed for her slender throat.

"Man, you can really move when you want to, huh?"

Left with no other choice, Wendy brought the golden knife back to her front, tossing it from her hip at the mummy's head. To the surprise of both heroine and monster, the dagger remained suspended in mid-throw, twirling about endlessly as its shiny glow grew even brighter.

 _"Oh, now what?"_

The knife stopped, its neon radiance fading by the second. Something suddenly shot out of the dagger's end, hitting the undead menace in the chest. Another blast launched through the tip, leaving its mark on the mummy's thigh.

*PEW – PEW – PEW – PEW!*

 _"No…way…"_

The golden dagger unleashed a bombardment of pointed blows upon its intended target. The mummy yowled, attempting to shield itself from the machine-gun-like flashes. Wendy sat back in disbelief as thousands of blades marked every possible part of the terror, forcing it back with great force. The knife began to spin again, its light-based attacks growing faster by the second. The golden glow soon returned as well. Unable to use her hands, Wendy turned her head and shut her eyes to shield herself from the brilliant radiance.

As the moments passed, the brightness faded from her face. When Wendy looked back at the mummy, all that remained was a tangled bunch of wrappings and ash. The golden knife and its charmed clones had disappeared as well.

" _Figures…_ " Wendy attempted to tear through her wraps again, expanding the muscles in her back and arms. _"Stupid magic knife gets up and leaves before I can finish cutting myself out of this._ _Still, that thing was pretty cool."_

"Pathetic…"

A flash of light left Wendy stunned. An irregular sound, *SKIT-SKIT-SKIT!*, resounded all around her. The tight pressure holding her upper body finally offered some relief. With one mighty flex, Wendy shredded the bindings off her shoulders, reducing them to aged tatters.

"How can you expect to challenge the Prince of Darkness if you toil fighting one of his insignificant minions?"

"Who the – "

Wendy followed the chiding voice to the other end of the crypt. An enigmatic leaned figure stood at the now-opened doorway. _A young man in what Wendy guessed to be in his late teens, returned a long rapier sword into the sheath on his belt. Long platinum blond hair was perfectly parted from his head, hiding the details of his face._

 _Donning a black overcoat laced with gold trim, the boy wore a puffy, silk neckband under a dark vest buttoned down the center. A gorgeous flowing cape was held across his chest with a simple chain. Ebony tights were tucked into long matching cavalier boots._

He moved his head to glance at Wendy, revealing a visage of perfect, snow-white skin. She gasped, easily recognizing the slightly-changed face.

 _"Robbie?!"_

The black-dressed young man chuckled, "No, I'm afraid not." In a true gentleman's manner, he gave Wendy a short bow, holding a gloved hand against his body. "I welcome you to my father's castle. My name is _Adri_ – "

"Oh, come off it, Robbie!" Wendy loomed closer without hesitancy. "I know it's you! We've known each other since fifth grade for cryin' out loud!"

He let out another uncomfortable laugh, without a hint of expression given in his amber-colored eyes. "I must insist, miss, that you are greatly mistaken. I haven't an idea to whom this "Robbie" is that you refer to…"

"Yeah, right!" Wendy bemoaned, crossing her arms. "Just like when you were the Kung-Fu guy with the cheesy red leather outfit, or the creepy goth-angel thing with the silver hair and the really, really long sword. I'm not sure how you changed your nose like that, and I'll admit, you look way-y-y better without all of the pock marks, but – "

The blonde lashed out in annoyance, his calm demeanor was twisted into rage. His pupils were now a demonic red. His model-like face had become tightened, displaying a pair of white fangs. He hissed at Wendy, making her jump in reflex. "FOR THE LAST TIME, I AM NOT HIM!"

"Vampire!" Wendy reclaimed her whip, preparing herself for his attack. Surprisingly, the assault never came. Somewhat embarrassed, the stranger covered his face with his hands. The handsome visage peeked out an instant later, as if nothing had happened.

"My humblest apologies, young lady." He nodded his head. "I am not used to being…challenged like that. And to make a small correction, I am what your kind would call a _dhampir_ …"

"Yeah, yeah…" Wendy relaxed her stance. "Half-vampire. It's not like I haven't read a teen novel written in the last five years or anything. I wanna know what you do want?"

"I assure you…" His appearance becoming somewhat smug. "This entire situation is far from anything I would I ever want."

"Man! Emo much? Are you sure you're not – nevermind. What's your point? The short version, if you could…"

The boy's voice was firm. "The point is that I cannot allow this travesty to continue any further. The legions of the netherworld are about, and you dare to wander aimlessly? This is no place for someone such as you -"

"Not this garbage again!" Wendy wiped a palm against her forehead. "I literally just had this conversation in the last world or dimension or whatever. Look, it's not my problem that like, ninety percent of women here are kidnapped girlfriends or princesses and so on, and frankly, I just don't care. I have a job to do – _a dork to find_ – and I'm not stopping until I do! Besides, I've been kicking butt so far."

"Is that a fact? Like how you barely survived your encounter with our mummified friend there?"

"What can I say? He got in a lucky shot, and nobody's perfect. Sometimes, you have to roll with the punches." Wendy recalled what she heard earlier. "Hold on. You said that this is your father's castle?"

"Indeed. This castle is an instrument of his malicious nature – a living entity that is able to react physically to his every whim."

"That's why the rooms keep changing! But wait. What about outside; like the graveyard is a given, but the trees and mud banks, and stuff like that?"

A hint of sadness rose to his blank surface. "Then, it has already begun. His essence is expanding beyond these accursed borders. If left unchecked, it will eventually consume this entire world, leaving it in a state of everlasting night."

"…bummer…"

"Which I why I implore you one last time: turn back now. The responsibility to bring my father's reign to end is mine alone to shoulder. Only I have the power to accomplish this task."

"Sorry, junior. I really am." Wendy refused. "But there's a reason I was sent here, and I'm not going anywhere until I find out what that is, and if that means I have to have a chat with "dear-old-dad," then so be it."

*SLAM!*

With a wave of his hand, the blonde resealed the heavy oak door behind him. He took slow, elegant steps, his sights firmly set on the defiant teenager. "You believe your faith and inner strength will allow you to persevere against such horror? Show me then!"

"Fine by me!" Wendy accepted the challenge, raising her guard. "Funny, but you don't seem like the type to lay a hand on a girl…"

"Who said I was going to?"

"Hmm?"

The dhampir clapped his hands together. He chanted in a low-key whisper, leaving Wendy confused. "What's he doing?" The long sword at his side wobbled in its hoister. With a *SHING!*, the rapier soared from the sheath and for Wendy's head.

"GAH!"

She dodged out of the blade's trajectory in time, spinning around to see it stop in mid-flight. It swiped the air to change its path, almost like it knew it missed its target. As the sword swung around, Wendy went on the offensive, hurling the leather whip out at the sentient cutlass. It sailed out of her range, doubling-back around to take another stab.

 _"Damn it!"_ Wendy glimpsed at the blonde, still with hands folded and eyes closed in deep mediation. _"He's using some type of magic trick to mess with me."_ As the rapier pierced down, she thought of a new strategy, _"Instead of me chasing this thing, I'll let it come to me!"_

As soon as the sword was within range, Wendy took the whip handle by both hands and swayed the thick leather, going across and against, above her crown of auburn hair, nearly missing the toes of her violet boots; it was a similar motion to a child playing jump rope. The light swings ultimately made contact with the steel edge, forcing it into the ground with a *THUD!*

Wendy went to claim the sword for herself. It began to jangle again. The rapier flung itself from the floor and back into the boy's awaiting hand.

"Enough games!" The young man took his trademark weapon in arms and dashed forward, disappearing into a red flash. Wendy circled around the room, searching for any sign of the new challenger.

" _I'm_ the one playing games?" She shouted. "You're the one doing parlor tricks with your sword, pal!" The room she was locked into appeared to be empty. "I mean, what's next? You gonna pull a quarter out of my ear?"

Wendy heard a gruff grumble echo throughout the chamber. Her plan was working. _"Just keep talking trash. Gotta draw him out of hiding."_

"Hey, I got it!" The witty clerk kept her mouth running. "Maybe we can ask your daddy to teach you some new tricks, huh? I'm sure he must know some truly scary ones, like stealing my nose or that lame separating thumb gag – "

"ARGH!"

The spark of red behind her alerted Wendy to the sneak attack. She took her whip and pulled it taut, holding it as a stopper over her head. Wendy felt the bite of the sword dig into the hardened leather.

"Treacherous wench!" The unyielding voice spoke into her ear. "You do not know what blasphemous things you wish upon yourself!"

Acting fast, Wendy crossed her coil around the boy's wrist. She yanked him forward and over her back, slamming him onto the cold flooring. She kicked his rapier away, ensuring that there was a great enough distance in case it was miraculously recalled again.

Even in his fallen form, the blonde smiled up at Wendy. "Well played. But if you wanted a real display of magic, I would be more than happy to oblige."

"You what now?"

The trim figure evaporated into a puff of black smoke. Wendy tried to brush it away, finding that the other teenager had already disappeared from beneath his cover.

 _"This guy likes playing hide-and-seek way too much…"_

*FOOSH!*

A fireball was screaming towards Wendy at alarming speed. Left without time to move, she whipped the flaming round, reducing it to cinders. As the smoke cleared, she saw a large brown bat hovering above the stone basing. Its wings were a familiar shade of black with gold ends. The sharp, yet gloomy yellow eyes confirmed her suspicious.

 _"Okay…so now he's a bat…"_

The bat flapped harder as another flame poured from its mouth. Wendy swiped the fire away with the whip, taking a deeper stride through the smog, casting her arm out as far as she could.

*S-NAP!*

The whip cracked just under the bat's left wing, making it screech and dip in mid-flight.

 _"Gotcha!"_

Injured, the bat fell to earth, melting into a purple puddle. Before Wendy could move, something within the liquid became solid. Four limbs branched outwards onto the floor, hoisting a connected midsection upwards. Bright, royal-colored fur spread along the top portions; thinner, orange fuzz went along its undercarriage.

A poofy, dog-like tail could be seen from the backside. A stubby neck gave way to a shaggy face with white whiskers. A long, fine snout ended with a soft, moisty black nose. The telling gold eyes were an open window into an agitated soul.

Now whole, the wolf threw its head backwards, releasing a deep, painful howl. Wendy dug her heels into the stone, confident that she could handle anything that came next.

"C'mon, Fido! Gimme your best – ACK!"

She didn't even see what had happened. Within a blink of an eye, the canine had knocked Wendy flat on her back. Its mighty paws were planted on her bread basket, the nails scratching against her armor.

The wolf snarled, bringing its muzzle closer to Wendy's head. Gums revealed rows of yellow teeth, discharging a large amount of putrid slobber over her body. As it bent down to bite her shoulder, Wendy pushed its neck with both hands, while turning her face away, lifting the killer animal off her as it mindlessly snapped its jaws.

"Say it…don't spray it!"

With the given slack, the redhead was able to slide a leg up, placing a foot against its ribcage. With a sharp kick, she punted the wolf into the distance, making it yelp aloud. It slid across the room, with all four legs spread out.

"Sorry, wolfie." Wendy brushed the dirt off her jacket. "You almost had me that time, but "almost" only counts in horseshoes!"

The wolf growled at the girl's brass. The color of the animal speedily turned translucent as its shape fell though. A beige cloud came up from the foundation, expanding rapidly into the atmosphere. The film reminded Wendy of the smoke bombs that her crew would generally use in various pranks.

 _"Nuts to this! I'm outta here!"_

The vapor fully enclosed her before Wendy could flee. It entered her body through her nose and mouth, robbing her of all breath. Wendy collapsed and noisily gagged, massaging her throat to help oxygen flow. Her eyes watered as the living mist entered her nasal cavities.

 _"It – He's choking me out –from the inside!"_

She plunged to her hands, trying to force the entity out of her system with heavy coughs. Wendy nearly tipped over before catching herself. It was getting harder to stay awake.

 _"Gotta…gotta get it out of me. I feel so bloated…like I have – "_

Wendy stopped struggling. The answer was so simple. She leaned back and breathed deep, forcing the inner pressure down into her gut. Her stomach swelled with pain and discomfort. Wendy flashed back to the contests she had with her family and friends; how she would conquer any or all challengers for her throne without doubt.

With the compression in her mid-section coming to a head, Wendy looked to the ceiling and opened her mouth wide, freeing a near-supersonic belch.

"Buuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Several seconds passed as the smog was exhumed from Wendy's innards. It bunched together, recreating the image of the blonde dhampir as it dropped him from mid-air. Both teens laid on the cool flooring, having been pushed to their limits. Simultaneously, they stole a peep at each other, sharing a mutual sign of respect.

"That…" The boy spat out. "Was the most _disgusting_ thing I've ever bear witness to, and I've seen the very worst Hades has to offer."

"Yeah, well," Wendy wheezed. "That's what happens when you're raised by a household of rowdy lumberjacks. So, are we good now? Did I pass your little tests?"

The blonde held out his hand. His long sword coasted past Wendy and into its master's expecting palm. Seeing this, the worn-out high-schooler hoped that he agreed to her truce. Instead, the dhampir used his weapon as a clutch to get back to his feet. Wendy let out a sigh of relief.

"I would be lying…" The boy admitted, limping up towards a higher ledge at the edge of the room. "…if I said your skillset isn't short of incredible. Your tenacity alone serves as a testament to how you've been able to make it this far."

"…gee…thanks…"

"But I have seen too many a maiden suffer a fate of eternal damnation due to my father." He held his gloved hand against a random panel in the wall. "My conscience will not allow another to suffer the same fate, especially someone as extraordinary as yourself…"

Wendy could see what the dhampir was planning, but she was too weak to move a single muscle.

"Wait…don't…"

He pressed the tile until it locked into place. "You have no need to fear. I intend to challenge the king of the vampires and emerge victorious for the sake of humanity…"

"Dude…"

The lower layer of the crypt began to part down the middle. The floor gave away from beneath Wendy's location.

"Fare thee well. We shall not meet again…"

"…YOU SUCK-K-K-K-K!"

The shout boomed throughout the darkened pit as Wendy fell for what felt like an eternity…

* * *

 _"Where?!"_

Wendy jolted awake, instantly forgetting the peacefulness found in her brief slumber. With every part of her body bruised and sore, she carefully hoisted her head back towards the abyss above. Even when squinting, Wendy couldn't see the top. The shadowy passage seemed to go on and on.

 _"Who knows how far I fell?"_ She wiggled her arms and legs, luckily finding no serious damage. Her every movement created an eerie, crunching sound. _"Must be whatever cushioned my landing…"_ Her curiosity took hold as Wendy lifted herself up to see what was lying underneath.

*KR-UNCH! KR-UNCH!*

Wendy had fallen upon a cesspool of countless human remains. Numerous femurs, humeri, and tibiae served as her makeshift pillows. Her legs were comfortably propped up by a pile of severed spinal cords. Above her, a lone skull stripped of all skin and sinew watched Wendy's budding horror with a frozen, toothy smile.

"AH! AH! AHHH!"

Wendy fought to get back up and out of the mound of death. Her right hand had snagged between a crushed ribcage. Her left foot was wedged within a distorted pelvic bone, preventing her from standing.

"Get off! Get off! Get off!"

The distressed lumberjill bucked violently for freedom. Her head spun from side to side, frantic to get loose. Fear soon was replaced with anger as Wendy slammed her fist down, turning the ribcage to powder. She kicked down hard with her heel, breaking the hip bone into two.

Freed, Wendy sprung up from the boneyard, reclaiming her whip on the way. She glanced at the creepy skull, still mockingly jeering at her.

*KR-ACK!*

She destroyed the ghostly cranium with one sharp snap of her weapon. Satisfied with her petty revenge, Wendy decided to scope out the newest area of the castle.

 _"Well, isn't this peachy?"_

The cashier had plummeted down to the castle's dungeon. Worn, grey bricks served as the foundation to an abundant of jail cells. Within each, an unfortunate, undernourished soul made inhuman sounds, pleading for release in foreign tongues. The bars of each chamber consisted of rusted steel spears that pierced the solid terrain. There were no doors or locks to pick open. A shade of guilt clouded Wendy's mind, as she was powerless to help those in need.

An even worse sight awaited her above. Half-bodied skeletons were hung from padlocked pillories via chains across the torture chamber's ceiling. Bare-boned legs lacking their upper halves dangled from fetters, almost decorated like twisted chandeliers. Wendy wondered if the missing pieces were a part of the mountain of bones she had landed on earlier.

On the ground, she went by a pair of ankle stocks crafted from a sturdy wood. Bolted into the concrete, they had been left opened, serving as a reminder to what cruel fate would have in store for those not able to make it out from such a horrid place.

The mere sight of such a trap caused Wendy to shudder deeply. Yet, the accustomed candles providing a thin layer of light kept her focused on the task at hand, ensuring her that her journey would not end here. _"Eyes straight; keep moving no matter what…"_ The teenager continued through the dungeon, pushing the sounds of the damned out of her brain. She went up and down the many staircases, traveling past several layers of the hellish landscape.

 _"All these halls look the friggin' same!"_ Wendy complained. _"I can't tell if I'm coming or going here! Wait, is that –_ "

She excitedly hopped from the stairs leading downward, finding another large oak door at the end of the hall. _"Oh, yeah! I know the drill by now – new door, new way out!"_

For some reason, _a bizarre-looking skull was mounted to its arch. Its bone structure was curved and ridged, similar to that of a dinosaur fossil. The eye sockets had been hollowed out. Its animal-like jaws were elongated and filled to the brim with deadly teeth._

However, Wendy wasn't deterred in the slightest by the ghastly image. She raced towards the exit, reaching the halfway point before an unsettling hiss brought her to a pause. "What the heck was that?"

*SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!*

With whip ready, she searched about for the source of the hissing, coming up empty after a few seconds. "That's weird." Wendy scratched her head. "Could have sworn I heard something - oh, geez…"

A stirring shadow on the floor supplied the answer. She gaped upwards as the mysterious skull came to life. It seethed at the gingered mark below, reaching out with an ever-increasing neck constructed of gouged vertebrate that were connected by an invisible link. The very last piece of its spine was bound to the wall.

The bony monster slithered along the air, bouncing along without rhyme or reason. When it came to a stop, Wendy promptly knew something was wrong. She rolled to the side as the skinless predator lunged onwards with its maw widened.

*SN-AP!*

The skeletal threat steadily drew itself back after missing its target. Wendy took full advantage of this, shooting back onto her feet, and delivering a swift lash across the beast's face. The force of the blow pitched it back into the wall.

"SCREEEEEE!*

 _"I really got it good that time."_ Wendy noted. _"One more shot like that should do the trick."_

The bony creature went back to its natural bobbing, its brows broaded at the agile tomboy. Wendy could make out a red and yellow flash forming in its throat. It cocked its head back, giving way to a tower of flame.

 _"Fire! More fire!"_

Wendy ran to her left and right, trying to avoid the smelting discharges. _"I get it now! This guy's a dragon ghost!"_ Changing its strategy, the snaking bone structure lowered itself, aiming at the center of the floor, running its roaring fire in a straight line. Left without anywhere to go, Wendy jumped straight up, kicking her legs out into the splits to avoid having her feet burnt off. With the dragon beneath her, the warrioress threw the whip down at the flaming skull. It smacked off the hard ground before breaking into pieces. With its fire quenched, the rest of the neck vertebrate liquefied into black pixels that faded away.

Wendy landed in front of the ashes, only to take back to the air due to the heated earth. "Ow! Ow! Hot foot! Hot foot!" She skipped a few paces back, double-checking that the soles of her boots hadn't melt.

*SLAM!*

With its guard destroyed, the door flew open. Wendy walked through the open gate, wincing as it folded shut behind her.

 _"What's this?"_

She had stumbled upon a fully-furnished laboratory. An assortment of warped beakers traveled through a series of metal tables secured together, pumping an unknown liquid through the twisting ducts. A group of test tubes were held under a low-lit Bunsen burner, its contents boiling at a steady rate. The results were records on aged, handmade sheets of paper. The ink came from a feather-tipped pen nearby.

Behind the stand, a colossal library of collected works was neatly organized within a half a dozen stacks set upon wheels. The titles on the spines were comprised of strange lettering and symbols that Wendy didn't understand.

 _"Man, I bet Dipper would have a field day with all of these weird books. But, what kind of quack would have something like this way down here? And why?"_

She thought back to the terrors in the holding cells above, and wondered if she had answered her own question.

To the right side of the library, a large examination table was positioned upright by hydraulics stemming from the ground. A plain white cloth gave shape to a looming, ominous figure underneath.

 _"Oh, nooooo! Nope! Nope! Nope!"_ Wendy thought, the classic horror scene all too familiar to her. _"Not touching that with a ten-foot-pole! I already dealt with ghosts, zombies, an actual mummy, and vampire junior that can become a wolf man. I think I'm more than good with all the classic movie monst – "_

*KR-ACK!*

Wendy couldn't even finish her sentence as a bolt of lightning was cast down from the ceiling, enveloping the shape with electricity. _"Really? We're underground for heaven's sake! How's that even possible?!"_ A mighty hand consisting of bluish-grey flesh, sealed with a black, finger-less glove, slid out from beneath the covering and tugged it off.

From on the examination table, _a man-made giant sat upwards. Deep, infected scars could be seen just under a flattop of matted dark hair. His prolonged brow blanketed small beady eyes in shadow. Instead of sporting a traditional economy burial suit, the cadaver wore a dirty brown muscle shirt under a torn mauve vest. Its green painter's pants had been secured with a leather belt with golden buckle. Heavy worker boots poked out from the pant cuffs._

 _The stitching that ran up its arms suggested that they had been affected in some horrific fashion. From the way that the body appeared crooked in every aspect, Wendy deduced that the limbs were lengthened somehow._ She also figured that such attributed to the monster's inhuman height.

 _"He's gotta be at least ten feet tall!"_

The most horrifying aspect was that the experiment had a chainsaw in lieu of a right arm. The rusty blades stuck out of a red starter that had been grafted into the wrist. His beefy frame enabled him to move freely without being bogged down by weight.

The creature soon found Wendy gaping in disbelief before him. His forehead deepened as the tiny eyes turned red. The left hand reached to its bulky counterpart, stumbling about until the fattened fingers traced the starter cord. They tightly clamped it, pulling it upward before releasing it with a *SNAP!*

The chainsaw buzzed to life, releasing a cloud of smoke created by its internal generators. The spinning blades became nothing more than an everlasting grey blur.

 _"Oh, sh – "_

*POW!*

To Wendy's bewilderment, the demented experiment lift himself off the table with his singular hand. He towered over her, a grim expression on his manufactured face. The ever-growing grinding of the chainsaw added to the teen's weary nerves. Wendy tried to calm the leviathan, holding both hands up. "Now, take it easy, big guy. We don't want to – AAH!"

She stooped down as the chainsaw blades came swooping for her head. If Wendy would have blinked, she never would have seen the attack coming. The monster, angry that he missed, let out a garbled roar, causing the surrounding area to shake with ferocious rage.

 _"He's fast. Way too fast than he should be…"_

*ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!*

Wendy dodged another stab, rolling past the behemoth and towards the library. She looked over her shoulder, seeing that the beast was now racing after her, holding its sharpened limb steady with its half-gloved hand.

 _"RUN!"_

Wendy sprinted through the narrow openings of the aisles, eager to create some distance from the insane monstrosity. _"Hopefully, that'll buy me some time – "_

*CRASH!*

The monster forced his way throughout the library, mindlessly knocking over the racks of antique tomes. He sliced any remaining portions with his chainsaw, cutting them down to mere splinters and paper shreds. His longer legs allowed him to bridge the gap between him and Wendy with ease.

 _"Of course,"_ Wendy forced herself to look ahead. _"I couldn't get the slow green guy, with bolts in his neck and the dorky suit. Instead, I had to bump into Frankie 2.0, with all new upgrades perfect for blending me up into a fine paste!"_

She was forced to a skid as the road came to a sudden stop. There was another fork to choose from. A ledge across the gap featured a succession of mashing spiked blocks. Linked together by a chained-pulley system attached to the roof, they crashed against the ground one by one, rising again to repeat over and over in an endless sequence.

 _"You'd have to have, like, mad skills to make it through that!"_ The matching red splatters that stained the flooring and spiky tips made Wendy doubt her own abilities. The buzzing getting louder from behind reminded her that time was of the essence.

 _"Okay. What's Plan B?"_

Below, a deep drop led to another cobbled pathway. The shadow of the upper lower hid its surroundings. The constant banging from above blocked all sounds except from the monster's chainsaw arm.

 _"Screw it! B it is!"_

Wendy walked off the edge, the rough landing making her wince with a slight sting. She hurried ahead while looking back to the higher ground. The modernized brute stood in the same spot she had moments ago. His eyes narrowed as his weaponized arm burned without end.

" _HA! Maybe big boy's afraid of heights."_ Wendy turned back around. _"The further away he is from me, the better – "_

A glimmering flash was aimed for her chest. Wendy dropped flat to avoid it. She could feel a draft flowing back and forth on her exposed skin. Shavings of her copper hair floated down around her.

 _"The hell was that?"_

Wendy cocked her head, lying as close to the floor as humanly possible. A circular blade had been secured to a swinging pendulum as it pierced the air, narrowly missing her backside. Traces of rotten meat and red plops were stuck to its shiny sides.

*BAM!*

The blue undead titan had tailed Wendy into the lower level. He sluggishly reared ahead, displaying no sign of fear of the dangerous obstacle ahead.

Wendy scrambled along the ground, scraping ahead using her fingers and pressing off with the tips of her toes. Once she was out of the pendulum's range, the frantic fighter scurried back to her feet. Her escape route was blocked off by a large barricade of bricks. Wendy palmed the structure, unable to find any dents or holds to climb upon.

Ironically, she saw that the upper platform ran parallel to this new wall. If she had braved the perils above, the exit would have been a simple leap to the top of the wall.

"You've…" Wendy pounded on the barrier with her fist. "Have...got…to…be…joking!"

*THWACK!*

The pendulum blade struck the creature in his gut, the impact bringing it to a stop. With his regular hand, the unaffected hulk lugged the knife-edge out of his body, leaving behind a dry, opened wound. Still holding his death-grip, he motioned his body downwards, ripping the hazard from its moving tether.

 _"…unreal…"_

The experiment held the torn trap in one hand without effort, thanks to his colossal strength. He flung it at Wendy like a Frisbee, her eyes fixed on the spinning glow homing in on her.

"Geez! Uh!"

Wendy bounced off the wall, flipping head over feet in mid-air. To her disbelief, she landed much sooner on something solid.

"What the – "

The pendulum blade had become imbedded in the wall. Wendy took a careful step, feeling the edge of the blade wiggle under her boots. Intrigued, she began to bounce up and down, treating it like the diving board of a swimming pool.

*ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!*

The blue miscreation came closer with every spring. Wendy bent her knees and soared upwards, coming in line with the top of the barricade. She reached out with both arms, snagging a hold on the niche. Wendy grunted as she kicked herself to safety, rolling over, and taking a moment to gather her energy.

She found an opened wooden door across the way. The ginger forced herself up on wobbly legs, jogging breathlessly to her goal. "Never…been…so…happy…to…see…a…door…before…"

*SLAM!*

It closed tight after Wendy advanced through. The dungeon continued on to a constricted path. It bordered on open depths of sharpened spikes on each side. The same barbs decorated the roof and walls. Lit torches provided the required light necessary to avoid falling to a grisly death. A lone magic candle hovered above a spherical center.

 _"Wait, where's the rest of the road?"_

There wasn't anything beyond the platform. The rows of spikes appeared to go on forever.

 _"This doesn't make any – "_ Wendy stepped back from the pointed abyss. _"Maybe I was supposed to double-back or something?"_

*CRASH!*

She gulped as the enormous abnormality came storming through the wall, sending debris into the pits below. Seeing Wendy cornered, he revved his chainsaw, lining it up with her slender figure. The high-schooler whipped the ground, letting him know she was ready to battle.

 _"Totally underpowered, and he's definitely got the speed advantage, but I'll be damned if I'll go down without a fight!"_

The villain grasped its weaponized arm and charged into the fray. After only a few steps, the walkway buckled under the massive weight, as he plunged head-first into the gorge.

*SQUELCH!*

The nauseating sound turned Wendy's stomach. She dared not look down at the messy aftermath.

 _"Talk about a happy accident."_ She stared at the hole in the wall well out of her reach. _"How do I get out of this mess now?"_

*C-RRRREEAAAAKKKK!*

Wendy toppled forward as the room started to shake. It became harder to keep her balance. The torches in the background seem to tilt further and further.

 _"Is – Is the room spinning?"_

Before long, gravity tugged at Wendy, bringing her closer to the spikey pitfalls. She looked up to see that the lone candle hid a shiny object within its meek glow.

"That's it!" Wendy clung to the remainders of the bridge, using her other hand to guide her whip. "There's always something handy in these things."

A small, round object came out of the candle. It slid down the slope, right into Wendy's palm; her whip tucked under her armpit. "Gotcha!" She gazed down at the item in her hand. It was a silver medallion with an unfamiliar insignia on the inside. _The symbol was that of a shorten sword pointed down with a small chain wrapped around its blade._ An inscription was marked at the bottom.

" _Morning Star?_ Wonder what that means…hey!"

As Wendy examined the medallion, it dissolved away into her glove. She shook her hand repeatedly, as something poked at her side. Her whip had changed. The detailed leather strap now was made of sturdy-linked steel chains attached to the worn handle. A tiny, but painful-looking mace ball was welded to the whip's tip.

 _"Nice upgrade…"_ Wendy dug even deeper into the flooring as the incline increased. _"But not seeing how it's going to help me out of this jam. Wait. Over there!"_

Seeing the rotating room from a new perspective provided her with an answer. The torches that gave the area light each had an iron ring built into their bottoms.

Wendy held the upgraded whip tightly. _"I'm bonkers for even thinking this. There's no way I can reach with this thing."_ Her grip on the platform slipped for the second time. _"Then again, there isn't another option to choose from here…"_

As the floor became fully vertical, the girl freefell into the spikey walling. She lashed the chain whip at the nearest ring. The links stretched out several times longer than its former leather self, wrapping around the torch's low point. The maced ball locked the line into place.

"AAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!"

Wendy's screams turned to triumphant laughter as she bounced up and down like on a bungee cord. She twirled over the pit of spikes, the torn-out entrance above her. Her momentum soon calmed, leaving Wendy stranded and teetering.

*C-RRRREEAAAAKKKK!*

"Not again!" She rocked uncontrollably as the room's foundations warped another time, turning an additional ninety degrees. Wendy shrieked as a blue flash zipped past, nearly colliding with her.

*SPLAT!*

She realized that the flying object was the impaled corpse of the lab-created monster. Its chainsaw hand continued to buzz although all life had left the rest of its body. Wendy forced her head up, _"Don't look down. Just don't look down…"_

Even with gloves on, Wendy's hands were hurting from gripping the whip handle so steadfastly. Her shoulder blades ached from holding her arms up for such a long amount of time.

 _"I have to figure something soon. It's not like I can hang out here forever…damn puns."_

Due to the new angle, Wendy was now able to see further into the aloofness. There was a hidden alcove within the spike bed. The casted shade had kept it veiled within the dank hollow. A solid dirty-red boardwalk ended to a cedar door.

 _"Bingo-bango! That's my cue to exit!"_

Wendy used her legs to create a greater motion, swinging as far as the torch's ring would allow. Each tuck and kick bought her closer to the ledge. Wendy relied on her natural intuition to judge when it was time to let go.

"NOW!"

Coming in feet first, Wendy pulled hard on the whip, undoing the knot securing it to the iron rung. She rolled to a stop, somewhat speechless that she had survived such a leap of faith. Wendy released a tiny, near-inaudible gurgle, woozy and happy to be back on firm standings. She surveyed the calm setting, a sense of accomplishment washing over her as Wendy progressively rose up and to the door.

The gate, sensing her presence, shot open with a *BANG!* Wendy sauntered past without batting an eye. _"You're gosh-darn right you better open up."_ With one gaze at the new, unlocked area, all of the pride and moxie was instantly drained from Wendy's psyche.

* * *

 _"Homina, homina, homina…"_

*SLAM!*

The teen had arrived at the bottom of a sprawling clock tower. Gargantuan gears cranked endlessly in an everlasting loop. Smaller versions were cradled between the support of rusty chains running through a system of pulleys. A collection of pistons in the background gave the necessary power to keep the machinery going without incident. Wendy covered her ears as an eardrum-breaking *TICK-TICK-TICK!* reverberated in a constant pace.

A spiraling staircase enclosed the center of the tower, offering a bird's eye view of the complex system. Wendy sprinted up the steps to get away from the constant pounding. The further she was from the ground floor, the more the pressure eased off her temples.

 _"Thank goodness! I can hear myself think again…"_

Wendy was halfway up the clock tower when she stopped to look at an unusual carving resting on one of the side sills. _The unnerving statue entailed of two animal-looking skulls stacked on top of one another. The upper head blankly gawked at Wendy with hallowed out eyes, its jaws molded forever wide open with broken and decayed teeth. Hand-sized holes led down an overextended out nostril cavity into a rounded neck. A thin, yet strong spinal column stemmed from a tiny hole in the back, attaching it to the bottom piece._

 _Oddly enough, the second skull faced away from Wendy, towards the wall. Its positioning gave her a better look, where a series of jagged grey horns along its backside._

 _"It sounds funny,"_ Wendy observed. _"But those things remind me of that bone-snakey thing back in the dungeon. I guess someone made a weird trophy of 'em and – uh oh!"_

The empty eyes of the front face started to glow a familiar orange-red. The spark flowed down into its mouth, growing larger by the second. A fireball sped pass the opened mouth and at Wendy, who easily dodged the blast. The flaming rocket hit the stairs to her left, destroying them instantly. Wendy glanced up; the huge gap now left the staircase impassable.

 _"No way I can reach that those upper steps now…"_

*FUUFFFFF!*

More fire filled the statue's firm. A second shot was pushed through quickly. Wendy unfurled the chain whip into the blaze, the spike-ball at the end reducing it to a mix of thinning smoke and fading pixels.

"Yeah!" Wendy jeered as she roped her weapon in. "Missed me that time, didn't – "

Her celebration was cut short as a third fireball was promptly prepared for launch.

"How the – "

*KRAK!*

The explosion took out the part of the stairs leading back down to the bottom level. The section Wendy stood on wobbled under her feet. It was only a matter of time before it gave away. She took a step back and prepped herself, _"Just know I'm gonna regret this…"_

Wendy jumped off the stairs as they plummeted dozens of feet to the ground. The sprightly adolescent somersaulted over the gap, landing on top of the bone pillar. She rebounded up, hurling the whip down into the motionless skull. Wendy landed on top of its inactive partner, her boots tarnished by grey dust.

She dropped off onto the narrow ledge, setting her sights toward the ruined stairwell. "There has to be another way up there. Maybe…" Wendy paused, seeing a luster around her feet. A wave of fire swelled through the statue's many holes.

 _"Ah, - "_

She strained her legs outwards, allowing the flame to pass between them. Safe, but outraged, Wendy choked up on the whip, using its heavy-tipped end as a battering club.

"You cheap-shot taking mother – "

*SLAM!*

The powdered leftovers were blown off the edge while Wendy searched the busy environments for a way up. The oversized gears built into the clock tower were too far away to be of any use. The closest thing available was an elevator formed from running, grating iron chains. Running parallel of each other, the left side zipped back down as the right went up beyond her sight. Wendy noticed that the links were unusually wide…

She snapped her fingers. "Just like the anchors back in that crazy spike room!"

Holding the whip tight, Wendy started to swing the ending faster and faster. She released the cord, watching it sail among the moving chain. The spikey mace caught one of the links with a *CHING!* Wendy gripped the whip's handle firmly as she was hauled into the air. She forced her eyes opened, as a rush of wind brushing her face. Yards passed in mere seconds.

The grinding became louder. Wendy was approaching the spinning pulley that connected the chains. Nearby, a large, leveled wheel rotated infinitely between the spokes of two other vertical gears. The three spun in perfect harmony, providing their equal share to maintaining the flow of the clock tower.

"That's my stop…" Wendy jerked the whip back, releasing its hold. She fell towards the flattened gear as something small and green flew past her, making her flinch, and knocking her off trajectory. Instead of hitting feet first, the ginger crashed onto the metal, rolling to a stop just before the rightmost gear. She groaned, using her hand to clear her blurred vision.

 _"Ohh…what hit me?"_

Wendy could make out a grouping of light, yet sinister, mocking laughter. She found a swarm of flying objects bobbing up and down in a wave-like fashion _. It took her a second to gather that they were floating severed heads._

 _Their skin tone was a scaly green; a total departure for its undead appearance. Ruby red lips concealed broken, putrefying, stiletto-like teeth. Their eyes were smoothed over like finely made glass. Each head had a huge set of wavy, curly sandy hair. The long strands flowed wildly through the sky without restriction._

 _"That's so weird."_ Wendy thought. _"It's almost like – wait, they are! The hair's alive!"_

 _Each tress was actually a living, breathing serpent. The tiny snakes aided their hosts, scanning the area with their beady black eyes. Their small forked tongues flickered out of cleft notches before returning to place._

"GAH!" Remembering her encounter in the other gaming dimension, Wendy swiftly covered her face with both arms. "Medusa heads!" She remained on the defense for several moments before lowering her stance. The redhead looked at her hands, turning them over to ensure she was unharmed.

 _"I'm…not stone?"_ She stared at the ghoulish squadron as they went on with their patrol of the upper levels of the clock tower. _"Maybe it's because they're missing the whole body?"_ Relieved, Wendy cleared away the perspiration from her forehead. _"I should be golden as long as I stay out of those things' sights…"_

*HHHHHHSSSSS!*

As if it could sense Wendy's fears, the last Medusa head in rank broke formation. It peered down at where the fallen teenager sat. Its shining eyes became brighter, as it snarled at Wendy. The detached head zoomed down at her, its snake-hair gone frantic at the sight of the intruder.

"Well," Wendy shrugged. "Guess it's time to get back to work." She went to stand up, only to be stopped midway. Stumped, Wendy tried again, feeling something holding her back. "What's the problem?" One simple look turned her white. "Ah…"

The coattails of Wendy's jacket were entrapped between the two gears. The purple cloth was tightly pinned within the spot where the wheels met, preventing them from turning, and limiting her movement. Despite her plight, Wendy reached behind her back and tried to pull herself to freedom. She tensed her face tightly. _"Shoulda knew…something was up…when the damned thing…stopped spinning…UGH!"_

As Wendy reopened her eyes, she saw the wayward Medusa head hovering in wait before her. The living snakes on its scalp hissed in perfect harmony as a concerning smirk spread across its face.

"What the hell are you smiling at, huh?!"

Angered, Wendy went to punch the demonic visage with her right fist as the ever-shrinking jacket restricted her arm. Seeing her failed attack, the Medusa head dived for Wendy's shoulder with jaws unhinged. She cut to her left, hearing the snap of the crooked teeth echo in her ear. The miniature snakes followed suit, snipping at her despite being out of range.

Wendy shoved the floating head back with her left forearm. "Get outta my face, fugly!" The Medusa head shrieked in rage from its safe distance. At the same time, the downed teenager observed that the flying terror lined up perfectly with her leg. Wendy carefully lowered her knee, setting herself up for a perfect shot.

"Take this, freak-job!"

*BLAM!*

She kicked the Medusa head from the bottom, sending it soaring into the ceiling. It imploded under a muffled cry, fading away into melting green pixels. With adrenaline pumping, Wendy forced herself up using her feet. She pushed ahead with her shoulders, feeling the attached fabric tear off.

*R-R-R-R-I-P-P-P-P!*

At last, Wendy was able to stand back up. It took a second to adjust her balance, due to the now-functioning clock gear. The ends of her coat had been lost to the crushing wheels. _"Oh, well. That could have been a million time worse."_ Wendy padded the braid traveling down her back. _"At least it wasn't my ponytail…"_

She looked up, seeing that while the partially-damaged staircase was within reach, the remainder of the snaked-haired squadron had it hopelessly surrounded. Nearly a dozen Medusa heads continuously circled around in search of those who would dare trespass.

 _"Now, that blows chunks. Don't wanna chance taking the stairs and having one of those things knocking me off. Maybe there's another way up there?"_

Wendy recoiled again; the constant grinding of the metal gears etching on her nerves. "Man, these things are driving me insane! All the ticks and crunching is making my head throb! And there's so many of 'em! They keep going and going all the way…to the top…"

In her pained ranting, Wendy had discovered her detour. The turning mechanisms of the clock tower were interlinked in an ascending fashion, creating a sort of makeshift stairway. She judged the spaces between, using experience and perception to tell if her proposal was feasible.

With a nod, Wendy centered her equilibrium and hastened to the gear cranking upwards. She leapt on the wheel and hung on to one of its teeth with her hand. Soon, Wendy was situated over another horizontal-turning wheel. She hopped down on it with a soft *THUD!*

Due to the constant motion of the gear, Wendy nearly slipped off its edge. She clamped down with her hands to stop herself, her head poking over the side. The bottom floor of the tower could no longer be seen. Even though Wendy was usually great with heights, such a vast distance gave her a dreadful sense of vertigo.

She set her head against the solid steel and watched the Medusa heads continue on with their patrol around the stairs. For once, the shadow had aided Wendy, allowing her to traverse unseen by the deadly flying scouts.

 _"Alright. Break's over. Gotta get moving again…"_

Once more, Wendy went to the nearest wheel rotating upwards and began to scale it. As with before, she maneuvered through the system of gears to reach the upper floor. Still, there were still risks to be taken to reach her goal. Her movements were to be quiet and precise to avoid detection from her latest foes. She had to be fleet of foot to avoid being mangled by the connecting wheels, yet one false move could end with a boot lodged between the narrow spokes, spelling her certain doom.

After climbing for what seemed like hours, Wendy sunk into the first piece of solid land she came upon. She had come to another pulley system, discovering a medium-sized titanium gear locked between a pair of dangling chains. Unlike their equivalents, all three portions were immobile. Wendy tapped the wheel with her big toe, seeing that it barely budged. The top of the clock tower was in view, but without the use of the winch, there was no way to reach it.

 _"How can I get this guy going again?"_

The ridged teeth of the gear reminded Wendy of something back home. This wasn't the first time she was forced to deal with a stubborn, circular object in her way. Recalling the lessons of her father, Wendy climbed aboard the wheel and held a line of chains in each hand.

 _"It's almost like cheating using these– I've done this before without any help, but in this case, I can't take a risk."_

Now situated, Wendy used her feet to roll the gear, spinning it rapidly to a constant rhythm. The wheel rose off the ground progressively, becoming faster as she quickened her pace. Second-nature took over as Wendy released the chains with confidence, relying solely on her legs to power the rest of the way. She didn't have her mud-stained waders, and while this was far from a blocked-off wooden log in the Gravity Falls Lake, Wendy couldn't help but feel a sense of pride from this accomplishment.

"Yeah, baby!" She shouted, "Lumberjack Games for the win!"

Nearing the end of the pulley, Wendy passed by a small nook in the bricked wall. She skipped from the wheel as it retreated in the opposite direction without her guidance. Wendy couldn't bring herself to look back into the gorge that she had escaped from. The staircase and accompanying demonic faces had been long passed and far from sight.

A hint of hope came from the discovery of another brown-oak door leading out of the clock tower. However, it awaited her on the other side of the tower. There wasn't anything bridging one end to the other.

 _"Crap! Crap! Crap!"_ Wendy cursed, staring past the abyss for a way to cross. A golden flash suddenly shot up from the pit, stopping before returning back the way it came. A huge clock bob hung freely from the end of a matching, bending bar. The rounded weight traveled in a downward arc, causing it to swing across the gap at a steady rate.

 _"Of all the – "_ Wendy couldn't believe what she was seeing. She took a calming breath; she already knew there wasn't another way. Wendy was patient, studying the swaying clock piece, and memorizing its every dip and tuck. When she felt confident enough, the clerk waited until the bob reached its highest peak near her before taking a running jump onto the weight. Wendy wrapped her limbs around its bar as she held on for dear life.

"Bad idea!" She yelled, as pressure towed at her secured form. "Really bad idea!"

Wendy forced her eyes open, as the clock bob went on with its monotonous task. Again, she calculated the weight's limits, eventually learning the peak of its flight to the wooden door. After a few swings, as the bob temporarily stalled, Wendy let go of the rod and pushed off the bottoms of her feet. She flew through the air and landed safely on the fragmented walkway. The wooden door seemingly acknowledged her presence, throwing itself open with a *SLAM!*

"Crazy…" Wendy puffed as she walked into the newly opened corridor. "Can't believe…still alive…"

*SLAM!*

To Wendy's surprise, she had uncovered another furnished hallway. Thick, luscious red draping was bounded by rope to the white ceiling. The textured walls, aligned with crossing diagonal lines, were adorned with detailed paintings. _Decorative suits of navy-blue armor with golden trim rested on platinum pedestals mounted to the side of the path. The knights were set with their arms supported on a massive battle axe welded into the stand. Their heads bowed in respect forevermore._ The all-too-familiar trail of candles reassured her that she was heading in the right direction.

 _"Nice to see something normal 'round here."_ Wendy noted, stopping to admire one of the canvases – a pencil-shaded black and white piece containing a room filled with nothing but wayward staircases traveling along every which way, defying the laws of physics itself. _"Egh. Makes me think of that lousy dungeon."_

On the right was a beautiful, water colored depiction of the castle's courtyard. A blurry, but vibrant sun provided a new perspective on the haunted landscape.

"So, that's what this place looks like in the daylight. It almost looks…pretty decent…"

*CLANG!*

Wendy whirled around. The hallway was dead silent; there wasn't a soul to be found, except for her. She shook her head clear. Paranoia was playing tricks on her mind. She went on, pausing again at a smaller painting that tugged at her heartstrings.

The almost-lifelike scene captured a tender dance between a lovely couple. Ironically enough, a tall redheaded woman, her hair wrapped into a neat bun, and her dimpled face coated with white powder and cheeks circled a pinched pink, led a much-shorter male partner by the hand. With his back turned to her, all Wendy could make out is slicked-back dark brown hair and a sickly-green tuxedo with matching darker shoes. They embraced, their free arms wrapped around the other's back, twirling with delight in a vestibule that resembled that of the castle's entrance.

Wendy lightly touched the ornamental panel as she came down from her hyped-up rush. The meager imagery made her think about home; about her very own pint-sized dance partner.

 _"Dip…just hang on a little longer, okay? I'm close – I know I'm getting close…"_

*CLANG!*

Awake, Wendy looked ahead, seeing nothing in her route except for the stationary blue knight, retaining its eternal pose of reverence. After a brief stare down, she relented and turned back as a rounded, spinning object nearly grazed her nose.

*GASP!*

Behind her, one of the suits of armor had come to life and walked off its podium. It had hurled its sharpened axe at Wendy, missing her by mere inches. The knight heaved backward, its every movement accompanied by a rusty clanging, extending its gold and blue arm with palm outward.

 _"What's it doing?"_

*WRRRLL*

She looked past her shoulder, seeing that the gyrating blade was heading back in her direction. With a squeak, Wendy ducked down in the nick of time. She saw the knight catch its weapon single-handedly as it took slow strides forward.

 _"It's a boomerang, too?"_ Wendy snapped her whip on the floor to draw boundaries. _"Isn't that special…"_

The axe-wielding armor came to a halt with a metallic screech. Once more, it nosily pulled its arm back, ready to pitch the weapon back at the lanky lumberjane. Wendy stepped up and whipped the cobalt helmet off the armor. The rest of the suit continued to function as nothing had happened. It bent down and released the axe as an underhand toss aimed at Wendy's ankles.

"Unh!" Wendy flipped back into her hands and sprang into the air, avoiding the spiraling, sharpen edge beneath her. As soon as she landed, Wendy used the chain whip to lasso the knight's legs. With a grumble, she jerked her arms back, knocking the living armor off its feet, the blow shattering it into several pieces. Wendy relaxed her tensed body, seeing that the severed iron limbs had ceased moving, until a troublesome thought put her back on edge.

 _"Wait. His axe – it never came back!"_

*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*

A second azure-tinted knight had attempted to sneak up on her; its heavy footfalls had inadvertently given it away. It now carried a double-sided axe in each hand. Wendy backed away, holding the whip at waist level. "So, you got two of 'em now? Big whoop!" She challenged it with a mocking wave, "Let's go, already!"

Instead of throwing either of the axes, the blue armor rotated its left shoulder a full 360°, locking into place with its hatchet over its head. Its steely legs began to pound the floor repeatedly, growing quicker by the moment.

*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*

Abruptly, the knight raced at Wendy with blade still held high. It jolted to a dead-center stop before thrusting the sharpened blade down towards her shoulder. She reeled back into a ball and pressed off the floor with both feet, returning her to a standing point. Wendy lashed the Morning Star whip against the armor's center, marking it with a deep gash. Showing no emotion or sense of pain, it released both axes simultaneously, with one directed at her neck and the other at her shins.

She knew she wouldn't be able to dodge both shots at the same time. The only way to make it unscathed was to go on the offensive. _"This is gonna be cutting it real close. I'd kill for some slow-motion right now, but here it goes!"_

Wendy bent her knees down as far as she could without touching the ground. Just as the blades were about to make contact, the freckled gymnast took to the skies and leapt over the dual threats. As Wendy lined herself up over the axes, she plunged the trusty whip straight down, reducing the spiraling hatchets to gray embers and melting pixels. The maced end of her weapon dented the floor itself.

Landed, and with the immediate hazard eliminated, Wendy retracted the whip and cast her arm back before driving it directly into the knight's chest. The armor's center piece flew from the possessed suit and down the hallway. The empty helmet buckled into the stand-standing boots before tipping over into a burst of flames and pixels.

Now safe, Wendy keeled over and tried to catch her breath. On her side, she could see the last blue knight upholding its watchful guard on its elevated stand. With a brief twirl, Wendy threw her boot into the statue's middle, breaking its stance, and leaving it as a lifeless pile of junk.

 _"Sorry, pal, but I'm not taking any more chances. Hey, there's another one of those things!"_

Wendy had discovered another shining object concealed at the end of the line of magic candles. _"Heh. Must be my reward for surviving yet another deathtrap, eh?"_

*SN-AP!*

A tiny, Y-shaped object had fallen from the destroyed candle. Wendy picked it up, examining it from every angle. It was crafted from a reflective dark blue metal. The white painted ends were razor-tipped and finely trimmed.

 _"Another weird boomerang? Or is it one of those flying disc knock-offs you'd see at a dollar store?"_ The ginger attached the item to her belt. _"Either way, it could be useful down the line. I mean, everything else I found was, so why not?"_

The confining hallway soon expanded to that of a massive, opened gallery. Long, marbled couches were placed in front of two towering portraits mounted on a brick wall. The first was a longer white piece left mysteriously bare. Above it, a much-wider artwork had been left a deep, dark black that had no border or limit.

For some reason, it left Wendy unnerved; for as much as she stared into the infinite darkness, she could feel it gazing back into her very soul. She brushed off the willies and went on to the end of the room. For some reason, the far end didn't have a fourth wall, leaving it wide open to the night sky.

Much had changed since Wendy had begun her venture into the gothic territory. All of the stars had disappeared, leaving nothing but perpetual darkness. The full moon was obscured by the passing clouds, leaving it in a crescent shape. The gentle wind had become a harsh chill that had Wendy cradle her shoulders for warmth. Above her, the tallest tower of the castle, the very same she had seen from the shrine miles away, beckoned to her; its closest wall had been removed, leaving Wendy to wonder if the two sections were previously connected.

 _"Can't believe I ended up this far…"_ Wendy toed the line over the descent. _"But how the heck am I gonna make it up there?"_

 _"Help…"_

The faint whisper nearly made her fall over the edge. Wendy looked back, swearing that she heard the voice come from inside the open room. She searched by the blank white presentation, finding that she was all alone in the galleria.

"Maybe I'm hearing stuff…" Wendy lifted her head. "But I swear I – GAAAH!"

She was forced away by the gruesome sight, tripping over the limestone bench, and ending up head over heels. Even when upside-down, Wendy couldn't take her eyes off the disturbing discovery in front of her.

A living face had forced its way to the surface of the portrait. Skeletal in appearance, and lacking any personal detailing, the head presented an expression of utter agony and suffering. It cried out again, its message muffled by the resilient blank bordering.

 _"Help me…"_

"Holy…Holy sh – " The words were stuck in Wendy's throat, her voice cracking as more entities attempted to break past the painting's limits. Various types and sizes of faces pleaded their case to the stunned teen on the other side, as their arms and legs punched and kicked against the supernatural white covering holding them prisoner.

 _"Help us…"_

 _"Save us…"_

 _"Free us…"_

 _"End us…"_

"Wha – " The usually cool-headed lumberjack princess was dumbfounded by the horrific display. She stood up, unsure if there was a way to rescue the tortured souls. Part of her was shamed for wondering if this was another trap lying in wait.

 _"Child…why have you come to this place?"_

The voices within the painting panicked at the sound of the deep tone. Within seconds, they fled into the white, leaving the canvas smoothed over. Wendy tried to find the source, but the growing echo made it near-impossible.

 _"Only a select few have lived to make it this far. But I find myself asking why would one wish to forfeit their life in such a way?"_

Wendy noticed that something was stirring within the wide black painting. Thin red laser beams ricocheted within the borders, splitting off into more branches as the frequency grew more erratic.

 _"If I were to wager, I would guess that your reasoning is as many of your ilk in their youth…"_

 _A shadow slunk out of the opus, and into the sky. The darkened blot drooped down, becoming longer and somehow softer. The black transformed into a light powder blue cloak, marked down the sides with alien symbols and cyphers. The inside layer was an odd black and white checkerboard design. Bony arms crept out of the opened sleeves. The hood adjusted itself to meet the head forming underneath. Its legs were hidden away by the cloth's length._

 _The being shifted its head, pulling back the hood and revealing its true identity: a menacing-looking skeleton with glowing red eyes and perfect-white teeth._

 _"…they dare to meet me, face-to-face!"_

Wendy upraised her brow, unaware of whom or what she was dealing with.

"Um, King…Skeleton? I think?"

"Tsk-tsk…" It waved its right arm, retrieving a long-stemmed scythe from the atmosphere. It rested the powerful weapon on its shoulder and across its back.

"Oh, _you're that guy_... But what are you doing here?"

The phantom explained, "While I am the reaper of souls, I also serve as second-in-command to the dark lord that inhabits this castle. I protect the point – this very point – between the world of the living and that of the next world."

"O…kay?"

"And none shall approach my master's throne while I exist!" The reaper pointed its scythe at Wendy, "Your ignorance does not excuse such insolence!" It rubbed its skinless jaw while pondering her fate. "Simply cleansing your essence from this plane of existence would not serve as a proper punishment. It smiled, setting its sights on the white canvas. "Perhaps spending the next millennia or two as part of my beloved gallery would teach you the proper respect for your superiors…"

"Is – Is that right?!" Wendy forced the stutters down, refusing to give the ghoul any satisfaction by showing the slightest hint of fear. She slapped her whip down as embarrassed anger surfaced. "I'd like to see you try!"

"As you wish…"

The reaper opened its cloth, unveiling the same pitch black which gave it form. Dozens of small, shiny ovals came darting out, spreading about the room in rapid sequence. Wendy went for shelter behind the marbled bench.

*SHING!* *SHING!* *SHING!*

Once the piercing sound stopped, Wendy popped up to check out the damage. She found three mini-sized sickles rooted into the _alabaster seating. The short, but harmful brands looked as if they were taken from the tip of the summoner's staff._

 _Another flash of twirling points headed straight for Wendy. She jumped out of the way, as the projectiles gone astray bounced off the wall and came back around for a second tour._

 _"_ _They're boomerangs, too?!"_ _Wendy distressed, squatting down to avoid them_ _. "What isn't in this friggin' place?!"_

 _"_ _Heh-heh-heh-heh…"_

 _The Grim Reaper, its scythe clutched firmly against its side, chuckled with delight at viewing his teenaged opponent struggle with evading his murderous spell. "Are we enjoying ourselves yet?"_

 _Wendy saw that the otherworldly nuisance had unintentionally brought itself down within striking range; all she needed was a boost to meet halfway. Trying to elude the rebounding threats, she sprang on top of the bench and ran across its smoothed top, hurdling off the end with wrap drawn back._

 _"_ _Enjoy this, you smug – AAAH!"_

 _One of the randomized sickles had struck Wendy above her left hip before she could land her blow. The jump came up short, as Wendy barely came down upright. She grabbed her side, her fingers feeling around the laceration._

 _"_ _What kind of – EGH! You mother – "_

 _Another steel edge grazed the back of Wendy's right leg, forcing her down to one knee. As she checked out her newest injury, she heard the reaper's mocking tone from above._

 _"_ _Ah, at last, you decide to humble yourself before me." The comment made Wendy growl under her breath. "But I'm afraid we're too far from the notion of sparing your life." It pulled its scythe back over its hood. "Fear not, for despite all appearances, I am indeed merciful. Death will come swiftly for you. Prepare to join my gallery of souls –_ _forever_ _!"_

 _The scene seemed to play out at a turtle's pace. The Grim Reaper swooped down with blade exposed and meant for Wendy's neck. Its small army of cutters clouded the room alongside their master._

 _"_ _It's like I can't get to 'im. Those dumb spinners are like homing missiles: they're following me everywhere! And if I manage to get pass them, the big one's waiting with his stupid stick."_ _She winced as her side ached harder, prompting her to place a hand over the wound._ _"_ _I need to make things an even playfield, but how?"_ _She hesitated as her fingers brushed the blue Y-shaped tool fixed to her belt._

 _"_ _Perhaps…"_ _Wendy removed it from the temporary hoister. Just as the Reaper was about to strike, she threw the boomerang at the demon's face. "Think fast!"_

 _"_ _What - *KRAK!*"_

 _The sudden shock sent the ghoul flying back upside down and out of control. The "Y" rebounded off the two corners and back into a swarm of sickles, its mere touch blinking them out of existence. The Grim Reaper landed against the upper wall, finally able to regain its stability. "What vile treachery is this?!"_

"What?" Wendy innocently asked, "Don't like a taste of your own medicine?" Rejuvenated by the small victory, she used the couch to reach the still-active boomerang and released it into the opposite end. "Well, too bad!"

*WACK!* *WACK!* *WACK!*

Like a racquetball, the boomerang banged off the walls, eliminating groups of sickles with every passing-by. Wendy met again with the metal "Y" in mid-air, realigning it back towards the reaper.

*WACK!* *WACK!* *WACK!*

The hooded monster lowered itself down from its hiding spot, shielding its face with both arms and scythe. The boomerang pounded around the reaper, nearly nicking it with each round, returning back into another wave of sickles.

Wendy looked beyond the troublesome metal Frisbee she had released upon the room, focusing on the damage it created instead. The horde of sharpened sickles was reduced to a slim handful. The Grim Reaper had lost interest on her, fixating on the "Y" bumping into the walls endlessly.

 _"Perfect…"_

Under the cover of distraction, Wendy raced across a marble bench, and again, flew off its end. She reached back and launched her chain whip at the reaper's head. The spiked ball collided with its skull with a sickening *KRUNCH!*

The _summoner_ slumped to earth as the rest of the sickles vanished from sight. Without Wendy's guidance, the boomerang had flown off the opened ledge, falling off into the unknown night. The pile of cloth stirred as the reaper made it to its feet. It glared at Wendy, displaying a nearly cracked, but entirely angry face.

"No more games!" It declared, twisting the rod of its scythe into a blur before tucking it underneath its left arm. "We settle this with the ancient art of combat – something I know you worthless swine are quite fond of."

"Fine by me!" Wendy tightened her hold on the chain whip. "About time you fight me man to man, er, ghost, er, whatever the hell you are…"

"NAAAAAHHH!" The Grim Reaper darted after Wendy, taking a number of wide and deep slashes with his blade. She sidestepped each predictable swing, waiting for the chance to counter. As its largest attack left the hooded specter open, Wendy crossed the chains of her whip, propelling it into her foe. The Morning Star ripped past, tearing the cloth's right shoulder.

"Damn!" She recalled the whip back. "I missed!"

The reaper took the scythe with both skeletal hands. "Enough! This ends here!" It tossed the billhook at Wendy, the tool propelling at rapid-speed. She vaulted over the attack with a somersault. As the scythe passed her, it began to curve back around, where the ghoul waited with opened arms.

"Dude," Wendy scoffed, whipping the airborne weapon, her chains wrapping around the thick stem. She pulled back, winding up with the scythe against her chest. "You really need to learn a new trick."

The skeleton's eyes shone neon red as it lunged for her. It roared, "GIVE THAT BACK TO ME NOW!"

Wendy nodded, "You got it, chief…"

*SNIK!*

With a smooth motion, she took a step forward and swung the scythe, decapitating the Grim Reaper. The severed head sailed up before landing next to the now-lifeless mixture of cloth and bones.

Bushed, Wendy placed the stick down and used it to support her weight. "It's over…"

All of a sudden, a volt of green energy rocketed up and out of the powder blue clutter. A ball of emerald fire formed at the highest point of the ceiling. It grew larger, as a gigantic monstrous skull came forth from the center. Its blood-shot eyes opened, as its mouth filled with crooked, jagged teeth echoed with the reaper's strict tenor.

"NO!" It screamed, making the walls quake with every word. "I WILL NOT FAIL THE COUNT! THE LIKES OF YOU WILL NEVER CROSS OVER INTO HIS PLANE!" The flaming head pushed itself down at Wendy in a high-speed kamikaze attack. "NOW, DIE!"

"Ugh!" Thinking fast on her feet, Wendy chucked the scythe into the path of the blazing skull. She forced herself into the floor, shielding her body with her arms as a huge explosion shook the gallery. After several seconds, Wendy peeped out from her curled state. The room had been blanketed with specks of green fire and chunks of white bone before all dissolved into retro-bit pixels.

"Now, if he comes back from that," Wendy stood back up and reclaimed her whip from the ground. "I'll be really impressed." She looked at the painting filled by tormented souls, finding that the white canvas didn't as much as bubble, leaving her to wonder if her brush with Death itself had made a difference.

"The only question left, I guess," Wendy turned around. "Is where do I go from here – "

A staircase had appeared at the opened wall of the gallery. Ornamented with rich, scarlet carpeting and met with golden railings, the lengthy flight traveled across the sky and into the next tower – the highest point of the haunted castle.

With nowhere else to go, Wendy set foot on the stairs, as an unknown pang throbbed within her gut. She remembered the reaper's words; of how this was a literal bridge between the land of the living and that of the dead. With courage gathered, Wendy placed a hand on the rail as she went up the _velvet staircase to the Netherworld…_

* * *

Wendy couldn't shake the weird sensation that came over her as she walked off the stairs. It was like when she used the white portals to get around the gaming universes. The redhead couldn't put her finger on it, but it felt as if she had entered another world within this one.

The inside of the highest tower looked as if it had been torn out from the ground level of the castle. The only difference was that this portion was kept in the highest standard of care. The brickwork and supporting columns appeared to be freshly laid. All of the glass windowing were kept streak-free and in perfect condition. Not a speck of dust could be found anywhere. The red carpeting that enveloped the staircase went to the floor and down the hall where more of magic candles gave off the necessary light to see.

However, the feeling of uncertainty held a constant grip on Wendy's mind. She took an uneasy step backwards, her foot finding nothing but empty air.

"Huh?"

 _The stairs branching from the gallery had disappeared_ , leaving Wendy marooned hundreds of feet in the sky. The moon itself was turned blood red; the shadows on its surface boar a resemblance to the eyes, nasal cavity, and mouth of a twisted skull. Below, the atmosphere was a messy blur of vibrant colors. The mirage swirled about, like gasoline emptied into a rain puddle.

 _"I guess,"_ Wendy faced down the unknown awaiting down the hall. _"This is it then…"_

As Wendy hurried by the final floating candle, she noticed the familiar shine hidden within the waxy taper. At first, she proceeded by, her sights set on the task at hand, but curiosity got the best of her.

"Ah, the hell with it!"

*S-NAP!*

As soon as she recognized the small object falling from the melting candle, Wendy dove at the floor. Instead of shattering all over the carpet, the object landed unharmed in her cupped hands. Her arms and legs stung from painful rug burn.

It was a small glass container labelled with the same cross symbol she awoke before at the start of her adventure. Inside, a clear liquid churned with Wendy's every touch. She popped the corked stopper from its top and sniffed the contents, before pulling back in confusion.

 _"It's…just water?"_

Wendy gave the tiny flask another doubting glare as she thought of what to do with it. Begrudgingly, she shoved the glass bottle into her jacket's pocket. _"Not really sure what's water going to be able to do for me, but all this magic stuff has come in handy for me so far…"_

An ominous, haunting melody filled the room. At first, Wendy thought it to be her imagination, of how the best, most classic B-movies would include a memorable theme during the climax. She turned to see that a polished grand piano was playing itself, producing the nerve-wrecking tune. The ivory keys and foot pedal operated on their own.

 _"I don't see one of those "spinney-thingies" you load the sheet music into. And this guy's way too old to be a player piano."_ Wendy shuddered. _"Well, that's new. I'll give it that."_

Ahead, two titanic ligneous doors as big as the wall itself were cast open, leading into the tower's center. Upon closer inspection, Wendy learned that the bolts had been torn off their hinges. The doors were merely leaning against the corners.

 _"What could be strong enough to rip these things off like they were nothing?"_

Wendy followed the red carpeting as it split off into three directions. In front of her, another set of sturdy doors blocked the only other exit out of the room.

To the left, a modest walkway led up royal-colored steps and to a golden throne. Patted with dark-blue cushioning, the shining mold met at the top of the seat by a creepy insignia: a sinister, leering skull with bat wings on each side of its head stared into the distance. Above the chair, a circular arc built into the ceiling was enclosed with a variety of stained glass windows. The scenes portrayed in the imagery were unrecognizable to Wendy.

The roof was held steady by a series of tiled columns on each side of the throne room. Each pillar held a lit cauldron filled with baby-blue colored flame. Several watercolors and acrylics decorated the walls behind them.

To Wendy's right, a small, elevated altar contained a man-sized, hand crafted coffin. Its lid was left ajar, providing a glimpse into its pink-padded insides. The timber covering had several dried black and dark red splatters over it. A matching handprint was highlighted within the gory mess.

Wendy recalled the dhampir's warnings, particularly the ones about his father. "Didn't that kid say that his dad was the "king of the vampires," or something like that?"

 _"So, you've come…"_

Wendy instantly spun back towards the throne. _A tall, slender man sat in the once-vacant seat. Dressed in a tailor-made black suit with gold tips, his silver mane, perfectly parted down the middle, split over white, elven-like ears, and swathed over his shoulders. His facial hair was neatly cut into a pencil-thin mustache and goatee that blended into his white necktie. The pupils of his eyes were a crimson red._

 _Like his offspring, he sported a long coat, but with insides and cuffs trimmed with red patterning. His cape, which he sat on, were the same coloring, traveled down his backside and onto the floor, making it look like the carpeting had gone upwards. His legs were comfortably crossed at the knees, his charcoal slacks tucked into knee-high buckled boots_

 _The man held his weary head up with a pale white hand, his elbow placed firm on the golden armrest. His other hand held a wine glass filled with a red beverage by two fingers, displaying a set of unusually long fingernails._

Judging by his demeanor, Wendy would have guessed that the man was _bored_.

She tried to approach him, "I – "

"Stop as you stand." He ordered, lifting his arm from the chair and holding it outward. "I already know what you're about to say."

"You do?"

The Count paused to take another sip of his drink. "Indeed. At first, when I first heard of your escapades, I believed you to be one of that damned _Belmont_ clan…"

"The who?"

"But upon closer inspection, it is more than obvious that you belong to the Corduroy tribe – another group of savage barbarians that evolved into tree fallers throughout the ages. Isn't that right?"

Wendy was left speechless. "But that's – how do you know who I am?"

He offered a brief smile as he swirled his cup. "Believe it or not, by your wounds. I can smell your blood even from this distance. And each bloodline offers a unique scent and taste. You see, my dear: blood binds us all. It unites us all beyond time and space itself. Or in your case, _dimensions itself_."

"Then you know that – "

"Correct. To you, in your home state, I may not nothing but a fictitious being, but ponder this: _my influence is felt everywhere;_ in countless texts and literature, and even celebrated as a celebrity in some cultures. What greater victory can there be?" He rested to finish the beverage. "Unlike the filth that is humankind, I am not greedy. I am more than content to rule over a single realm of my very own than to waste my time and efforts expanding my empire."

Wendy didn't know what to say.

"Alas, I also know of your plight." The demon lord went on. "I regret to inform you that your missing companion is not here, nor has he ever been."

Gathering her thoughts, Wendy spoke up. "Can you tell me where he is? Or what happened to him?"

The man shook his head. "Without direct contact, I can only know so much. All I can sense is that the boy is being held against his will. I am more than certain that if you continue on your travels, you will come across not only him, but his captor as well."

"Wow. Um, thank you." She rubbed the back of her head. "Not gonna lie. This totally went the opposite of how I'd thought things would play out." Wendy gave a grateful wave. "I'll see my way out. Catch you on the flipside!"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple…"

Wendy stopped in mid-step. "I'm sorry?"

The count's tone darkened. "As lord of this castle, I cannot overlook the number of trespasses you have committed towards my beloved home, my _Castlevan_ – "

"Time out!" Wendy crossed her hands. "No offense, buddy, but I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. I couldn't even tell you how many monsters tried taking a bite out of me!"

He pounded his fist on his throne. "They were loyal subjects protecting their homeland from invaders – _which you are!_ "

"But – "

"Silence!" The Prince of Darkness bellowed, knocking his chalice into the ground, cracking it into lesser chards. "Even if I were to provide mercy on these minor transgressions, how can I overlook an attempt to usurp my very throne?"

"I don't – what in the world are you talking about?"

With a disgruntled motion, the Count reached behind his throne, pulling out an object, and throwing it by Wendy's feet. It was a long sword cracked in several places and blemished with dried blood.

 _It was the dhampir's trademark rapier._

As she went to touch it, the blade turned to dust in Wendy's fingers. She looked back at the vampire king. "Harsh. You eighty-sixed your own son?"

He raised an eyebrow, "I'm not entirely sure what that means, but you can say…" The man cracked his knuckles loudly. "It will be a few centuries before that young man thinks to stand against me again." His sights focused solely on the baffled teenager before him. "And as for your role in such things…"

"Hold up, boss!" Wendy held her hands up. "So not getting into the family drama here. Maybe you missed the part where your boy dumped me into a pit of gross, chewed up bones? We're not exactly best friends, okay? So, for whatever problems you two have, keep me outta it!"

"Oh, how predictable! The human feigns innocence in an attempt to save her freckled hide!"

"I ain't feignin' anything!" Wendy was starting to get annoyed. "And like I told your kid earlier: I don't need anyone to save me. I made it this far on my own, and if you keep pushing me…" She turned away for a split second to uncurl the whip on her belt. "I'll have no problem showing you how!"

Wendy now faced an empty throne. The Count had disappeared from sight. She searched around the room, "Now, where in the hell did that jerkface get to?"

 _"Little Corduroy…_ "

The ginger didn't notice the darkness coming to life until it was too late. The shade produced the same man Wendy had threatened as he advanced upon her. And yet, he had changed. The Count now towered over her, his shocking height even greater than the lab-made freak with the chainsaw arm. His every step hitting the ground sounded like thunderbolts striking the earth.

Before Wendy knew what was happening, her feet moved of their own accord, backing her away from the upcoming threat. She forced an uneasy laugh to try to break the tension. "Boy, you're a real – really big one, aren't ya?"

The Dark One found no humor in her comment. He quickened his pace, his voice a cruel, grave whisper. _"Little make-believe-playing vampire hunter. Little scared girl who puts up a brave front and proudly, foolishly boasts to falsely earn the admiration of others, but wants nothing more but to run into mother's arms and sob inconsolably…"_

"I – I - "

The demon's eyes, never as much as blinking, turned fully red as his tone deepened further. " _Little coward that pushes loved ones away and retreats into aloofness and detachment whenever her world becomes unbearable…"_

Wendy's back hit the closed doors on the other side of the room. There was nowhere left to retreat to. The Count lowered himself to meet her eye-to-eye, while flashing his mighty fangs.

 _"Are you going to continue mocking me? Me – the dragon?! Do you dare to fight me, little Corduroy?!"_

It was then that Wendy came to a realization: she had seen those ruby-red eyes before; on every creature that tried to devour and slay her since the start of her quest in the countryside.

 _"It's like he said – his influence is everywhere. This creep's been watching me from the start. Maybe blondie had a point. Daddy's way too dangerous to be left to his own devices."_

Wendy leaned forward and replied:

"Well, you're the mind-reader, right?" She gripped the whip even tighter. "You should already know my answer…"

The anger regressed from the vampire's face as he stood upright. "So be it…" He held his left arm up, opening his elegant cloak. Wendy could see that the color shifting from a deep red to neon orange. The room began to feel hotter than before.

"HAVE AT YOU!"

Three fireballs came shooting out of the brightened cape and fixated on Wendy. She rolled out of harm's way at the last second, hearing the fiery rockets smack loudly against the doors. In response, she cocked her body and blindly lashed the whip back to where the Count once stood, hoping to catch him off-guard.

*THONK!*

The Morning Star mace bounced off of the wall before falling to the rugged floor. Wendy saw that the small fires that caught on the locked double doors had burnt themselves out, leaving blackened singed marks behind.

"Where – "

"Ah, the accursed _Vampire Killer_ whip. Well played, Corduroy…"

Wendy spun on her heels, back to the throne room's exit. The Count blocked the path, his body shielded by the magical cape fastened to his back. "While its spiritual properties are said to be supreme among vampire hunters, such limitless potential is wasted in the hands of a rank novice as yourself…"

"Wasted?!"

He opened both arms as the cloak's lining changed colors again. This time, a barrage of fireballs came forth from each side, launching one-by-one like targeted missiles at Wendy. Enraged, she weaved between the blasts using fancy footwork, the missed shots leaving potholes in the carpet.

Once cleared, Wendy lobbed her arm back and directed her weapon at the villain's head. He dissipated into a thin smoke screen as the mace came crashing though, fanning it out across the room.

"Dammit!"

Wendy found herself alone in the throne hall again. She stayed on the split path that divided the chamber, looking for any sign of the living shadow. "Is that all you got, old man? A pitiful "duck and jive" routine? It's funny actually; your kid put up a better fight than you did!"

She flipped around and resumed her goading, "Then again, what does a worthless mortal like me know, right?"

 _"No…"_

Wendy was brought to a stop as a pair of hands roughly grabbed her shoulders from behind. She couldn't break out of the tight grasp, nor lift the whip high enough to defend herself.

"You're not worthless." The Count murmured in Wendy's ear, the contact of his hair made her flesh twitch. His breath was ice-cold. "Only misguided. You haven't even begun to tap the hidden potential within. Just your mere presence before my throne serves as such an example. Most men are brought before me whimpering and pleading before I devour them and drink every ounce of their blood."

Wendy strained harder as the man increased his hold. "But you; you stormed through my army, assassinated my strongest generals, and solved the many puzzles of my living castle, and all to gain an audience with myself. It is a feat that only a handful of souls can claim to have accomplished, and even fewer have lived to tell the tale. It would be a waste to put an end to such talent with one fatal blow."

She could feel him pull his head back. "Ah, yes. That would do nicely. I believe you would serve wonderfully in my ranks as a lieutenant." With the slack given, Wendy was able to turn her neck slightly as the sound of bones cracking filled her ears.

The Count's fangs were expanding, growing longer by the second. "I advise you to stay as perfectly still as possible. I would say that this wouldn't hurt at all, but then again, I am not one to lie and mingle words."

Wendy kicked her legs harder. Her pinned arms patted around her waist as her emptied hand came upon something round and hard in her jacket. She dug into the pocket and retrieved the bottle of water found earlier.

"Sorry, man…" Wendy stuck her left arm out straight, trying to set her aim upwards. "Call me old-fashioned, but I don't do necking on the first date. Just ask my exes…" She gave a few unseen practice shots, confident that she would hit her mark. "Besides…" Wendy motioned her hand up, releasing the bottle towards the Count. "You're way too old for me!"

*KRAK!*

"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

The glass container shattered against the vampire king's face before he went for Wendy's jugular. He released his hold over her as he cried out in pure agony. The Count covered his face with both hands, muffling his screams as the water dripped down his clothing. As soon as it made contact with the floor, the convulsing tall figure became encircled by a roaring blue flame.

Wendy fled to the opposite wall as the azure fire grew larger, remembering the unique label on the glass. "It was _that_ kind of water, eh? I didn't know holy stuff did that kind of damage…"

 _"You dare?!"_

The black silhouette stood out amiss of the fading fire. The Count remained unharmed, save for a change in his physical appearance. His ravishing good looks had been washed away by the holy water, leaving behind a wrinkled, balding purple face devoid of any hair or distinctive feature. His eyes were now a dilated deep black. His hands and fingernails had also been turned violet while attempting to douse the fire consuming him.

"Yeech!" Wendy bit her tongue in dismay. "Talk about beauty being only skin deep."

"You dare…" The man spoke louder, pacing himself as he gathered his strength, almost as he was trying not to laugh at her efforts. "…to challenge me with your simple Earth magicks, expecting me to be fallen as if I were a common vampire…"

He transported in front of the opened passageway once more, ensuring that there was no chance for Wendy to escape from battle. "Please allow me to give you a taste of real power!" The Demon Lord spread part both arms, revealing that his body no longer lied beneath the cape. An open gap in time and space could be seen, offering a glimpse into the cosmos themselves.

"How can he – " Wendy was captivated by the breathtaking imagery.

The majesty of space was interrupted as a ginormous, charred meteorite was summoned from the flapping cape. Its scorching surface blistered and popped with dozens of individual orange fires. Its sheer existence caused the rug under it to curl up and blackened. The forced pressure of its arrival cast Wendy into the wall behind her with a *SMACK!*

 _"My gift to you: a piece of pure, absolute chaos!"_

As she pushed herself up, Wendy noticed that the meteor was slowly advancing across the room, roasting everything it came into contact with. The flaming sphere was too tall to hurdle over; it was too wide to evade or run from. _There was no way to escape from the sweltering attack._

Wendy held a hand over her eyes. _"It's not even halfway past the room, and this thing is killing me! I can feel the buckets of sweat sticking to my armor. There has to be a way to stop this! There – "_

She looked down at the chain whip in her hands. In spite of the growing heat, the steel of unknown origin still felt cool on her fingertips. _"Wait. It's like the old geezer said. What did he call it? "Vampire Killer," right? Isn't this is made of magic, too?"_

Wendy faced the meteor and closed her eyes. Even in the dark, the immense heat was like being on the surface of the sun. Holding the whip's handle in her right hand, she crossed her arms while holding the metal links in her other hand. Wendy began to swing the chains across her body and over her shoulders in rapid succession. Her movements grew faster as she gained flowing momentum. The breeze created by such seemed non-existent due to the constant heat.

Her green eyes shot open. Wendy twisted her hips and released the chains, allowing the whip to extend to its full length at high speed. The mace ball pierced through the giant comet as the impact of the blow sent it flying backwards.

The shifting change woke the Count from his enchanted daze as a look of surprise and panic appeared on his disfigured face. He threw both hands out in an attempt to halt the meteor; his touch apparently not hindered by the otherworldly inferno. But the stress caused by the comet's force was too much to bear. Wendy could see the man start to buckle as the fireball flashed…

*KA-BOOM!*

She turned and covered her face from the explosion. As the thick vapor emptied, Wendy found the Count on his hands and knees on the throne room carpet. Burnt parallel streaks ran across the floor between them. He wheezed for undead breath as he dug his nails into the ruined room.

"How…How can you channel its power? You're…You're not one of them…" The vampire slid further downward. "I…I cannot believe…"

"Believe it, chump!" Wendy skipped up and whipped as hard as she could. The Morning Star rammed into the Count's head, lopping it off its body and far from view. The corpse remained kneeling on the ground. There wasn't a hint of blood or gore to be found from the excessive damage.

"Man…" She glanced down at the chained weapon in her hands. "Talk about overkill on my part…" Wendy was left to wonder about the whip itself. Did the burst of strength come from the enchanted item, or from somewhere within?

The girl looked back at the Count's body, which stayed in perfect position like a broken mannequin. The throne room had grown deathly silent. "What do I do now?" With the battle ended, she expected the now-usual white portal to take her to the next dimension. Wendy poked the corpse's chest with the whip handle's trim, "Like, am I supposed to drag his sorry ass back into his coffin, or – "

*KA-POW!*

The body exploded into pieces, knocking Wendy off her feet as a barely visible presence came forth. _The strange blur morphed in shape, rising up until it was over twenty feet high in height. It stretched outwards, becoming tangible with gangly green flesh. Muscular arms spanned several yards in length, ending with fragmented clawed hands with jagged yellow nails. Thick calves of a matching color spouted gnarled hooved feet._

 _Attached by a twisted, almost broken neck, it lifted its head upwards as a curled brown horn budded from each side. A fanged mouth gradually opened wide for breath as buckets of slime oozed out. Diseased yellow eyes produced emotionless black pupils that never shifted upon locating their prey._

 _Webbed wings formed across the back of its arms, reaching down until they fused together at the spine. A scaly, snake-like tail dragged from behind, shifting with its every move. Now complete, the behemoth tossed its head back, unleashing a literal firestorm from its black lips._

"The dragon!" Wendy gasped, remembering the Count's nickname for himself. She went to push herself off the floor, only to lose her breath again. "How did – where am I?"

 _Reality had collapsed all around Wendy and her mystical opponent_. She had been whisked away from the throne room and into a new borderless realm. The skies stirred with blurs of putrid pink, purple, and orange, all gathering into a gaping vortex in what seemed like miles away. The floor beneath her was gone, and still, she remained supported instead of falling through to infinity.

Before Wendy could react to the sudden change, the monster flapped its wings, lifting its heavy frame into the sky. In a panic, she scrambled on her hands and feet to get back up. The shadow of the beast quickly increased over her – it was coming back down! Wendy didn't dare to look back as she tried to flee and create enough distance in time…

*SLASH!*

"AHH, FU – " The blow sent Wendy back down on her knees, skidding them against the invisible force that kept her afloat. She forced tears back and bit down hard on her lip, remembering her promise to Mr. Pines to keep her use of the "F-Bomb" to a minimum, especially when around the twins. Wendy didn't need to touch the mark to know that it was bad. She could feel a harsh chill on it, past both her jacket and the armor. The blood dripped down her back and on to her legs, where the boots' tight seal prevented it from seeping in. It hurt to breathe. It became harder to see.

Wendy sensed something coiling around her waist. She was twisted around and pulled into the air. The sound of contemptuous laughter forced her drooping eyes open as Wendy was now held before the demon's grinning face.

"Pretentious fool…" The green-hued giant pitied. "You have reached the end of your exploits, although I'll wager you expected things to end in your favor. It would be callous to not admire your efforts, while pondering what fueled your failure. Was it pride? Or ego? Or was it out of desperation for love?"

A brief consciousness awoke within Wendy. She noticed her arms were free, overlapping the dragon's tail. The whip was still in her right hand. With a last ditch effort, Wendy lashed its face with the Morning Star. "I'll give you "desperate!""

There was no sign of damage given from the attack. The monster didn't even as much as flinch.

"UGH!" Wendy coughed as the tail squeezed her ribs even harder. The whip slipped from her hand. A liquid flowed from her mouth; she couldn't tell if it was saliva or something worse. The Count's words fluxed in and out as her hearing began to fade.

" – a fighter until the bitter end. But take these words with you into the next world: your hubris has not only damned your very soul, but doomed your confidant for all time!"

 _"No…"_ Wendy was too tired to speak, but her spirit refused to quell. _"After everything that has happened, it can't end like this…it won't!"_

With a burst of sudden energy, the ginger heaved her head back and screamed. Her cries were not of agony, but of pure and unadulterated rage. When Wendy's eyes opened, the beast could no longer see the reddened green eyes from before. Instead, they were replaced with two emotionless beams of white light.

"What is this?"

She grunted, digging both hands into the spiraled appendage, pulling herself loose. Wendy fell back to the makeshift ground, landing on one knee, all the while; her sights never wavered from the threat before her. She was awake and aware of her actions, but felt as she was watching her body act on its very own.

"Impossible!" The fiend exclaimed. "There is no conceivable way for you to obtain such power! And even so, this realm is even beyond _their_ reach!" The dragon attempted to scratch at Wendy with its right paw, its nails breaking into pieces upon contact with her right shoulder. She felt no pain nor as much as blinked at the attack.

 _"The protection of the Black Tortoise!"_

It looked back at its injured hand before returning to the hushed redhead. Wendy took a step as something grazed the side of her foot. She bent down and picked up her lost whip. The metal combusted upon her touch, turning into a literal chain of living, breathing fire.

 _"The flame of the Vermilion Bird!"_

Like a girl possessed, Wendy sprang to action, dashing head first into battle as flame whip flowed behind her. The demon launched another blazing attack, coating the warrioress from head to toe. She raised the whip over her head and swung downwards, unleashing a tornado-like blast that wiped away all opposing fire.

 _"The icy winds of the Azure Dragon!"_

The distressed goliath shot its tail out, hoping to pierce the soft flesh of its female challenger. Wendy easily avoided the stab with lightning speed. Within a flash, she chucked the whip down into the snake-like appendage before it could pull back, simultaneously chopping it off while cauterizing the wound. The hellion screeched, shaking the universe around it.

 _"The swiftness of the White Tiger!"_

Continuing her assault, Wendy circled around the dragon faster than it could observe. The slaps of the whip boomed with every stroke. The only evidence of her being was the increasing amount of scorch marks along the Count's chest.

"No!" It blindly swiped at the red and purple blur tearing away at its skin. "Stay away!" Knowing that it couldn't win the fight, the massive wings began to flap again. "L-Leave me be!"

 _"Oh, no, you don't!"_ Wendy knelt on the ground and concentrated, her legs burning with intensity. _"You're not getting away that easy!"_ She released the gathered pressure and flew after the fleeing monstrosity, lining herself with its back…

*SQUASH!*

The world exploded with a blinding light. Wendy found herself back on the throne room's carpet. The nameless guidance that aided her to victory was no longer within. Her entire body was soaked from head to toe in strange, clear ooze.

"So gross!" She threw her arms out, spraying a sample of the slime with each movement. "I really, really hope this stuff comes out in the next dimension."

"Well done…kin of Corduroy…"

She flipped around to see the Count, returned back to his humanlike state, sprawled across the floor. He tightly held a bloodstained hand over his heart. Black gore ran from his every orifice. He forced a smile, "Perhaps there is a great power within your bloodline after all. We shall put it to a test the next time we meet…"

A great warmth came over Wendy, prompting her to look up. She could see the sun rising in the colored windows above the throne. She laughed, making it up after a few stumbles. Wendy limped to the throne, and reeled her whip.

"You know what, chief?" She looked back to the fallen ruler before going back to her goal. "You talk _wayyyy_ too much!"

*SMASH!*

With one fell swoop, Wendy destroyed all of the stained-glass windows, allowing the sun's rays to flood the chamber.

"GGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The Count's skin was lit aflame upon contact with the light. He covered his face with his cloak as the rest of his body steamed into an odorless smoke. A barrage of bats escaped from the melting corpse, with none able to escape the harmful beams. They squeaked mindlessly before evaporating in tiny fires and black pixels.

Wendy leaned back against the throne's armrest and crossed her arms in triumph. "Lousy, stinking flyin' rats…told ya I'd get ya…"

*RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!*

A resounding sound made Wendy glance at the ruined ceiling. Slivers of red extract came from every nook and cranny of the room, gathering into a small, shiny object.

"What's that?"

The energy became a cloudy red crystal ball. Without warning, it fell from the sky and into Wendy's uncertain hands. "Huh? Okay, then…"

She slid into the seat and recoiled as her back touched the cushioning _. "Ahh! Well, that's still there."_ Wendy carefully sat back to accommodate her wound. _"And no First-Aid-Sprays to heal it. Guess we gotta do it the hard way. Least it stopped throbbing so much."_

The girl spun the sphere in her fingertips. "What am I supposed to do with this thing?" She gently shook the ball and tried to find any sudden change. "So, you can't tell my future. Big whoop." Wendy scanned the rest of the throne room. "And I don't see any of those portals around. I mean, I did stop the game boss, right? Isn't it time to go already?"

A small twinkle caused Wendy to gaze back into the crystal ball. From within the red mists, she could make out bits and pieces of a familiar white glow. Those highlighted spots of the sphere felt warm to the touch.

 _"The portal – it's in this thing!"_

While seated, Wendy held the orb over her head while uttering a silent prayer. _"Please, let this work…"_

*KRAK!*

The crystal burst into a million pieces along the red rug. Once again, the throne room was bathed in a bright radiance as Wendy reclined contentedly into the Count's chair.

 _"About time! Let's get this show on the road!"_


	8. Chapter 8

_"I know it's so wrong, but I'm so far gone.  
Don't need you to tell me I'm so cynical.  
Quit being so over-skeptical.  
Don't need a metaphor for you to know I'm miserable."_

"What's Wrong?" by Pvris.

 **Chapter 8 – Captive Audience**

As the light faded, Wendy could sense that she was still seated in the Count's throne.

 _"Well, that's a new one. Didn't think I could bring furniture with me…"_ She tapped the armrests lightly with her fingernails, revealing that something was off. Wendy could no longer feel the posh, handcrafted metal under her hands. Instead, it was replaced by a rough and chipped wood.

Her vision cleared, Wendy could see her own baffled expression gawking at her from a mirrored surface. The vampire hunter gear had been swapped with her trademark green-flannelled lumberjack outfit, including her brown trapper cap, and mud-covered waders. The rest of the room was concealed in darkness.

 _"Where am I now?"_

*SNIKT!* *SNIKT!*

"HEY!"

Something clamped firmly around both of Wendy's ankles, making her cry out. She tried moving her legs, finding that she could barely lift a foot off the floor. The tightened fasts held Wendy's feet in place, preventing her from kicking free. The awkward angle stopped her from being able to stand up.

"What – What the hell is going on?!" She thrashed about in her seat, the robust wood refusing to budge in the slightest. Wendy threw her weight against the chair's backing. "Let me go! AAH!"

The piercing sting echoed across her backside, causing the girl to wince. Wendy carefully padded her shoulder, as her muscles tensed again. The wound given to her in the last battle hadn't healed yet.

 _"That's still there?! Usually, they fix me up before the next game world…"_

Wendy looked ahead to see that the image in the glass had changed. _Her reflection had changed_. No longer did it display a confused and startled look. A darkened freckled face draped in shadow stared back at her, its eyes a hardened green devoid of any shine. A confident, somewhat arrogant smirk was spread from cheek to cheek.

 _"Is that…me?"_

The weird imagery pulled away from Wendy's reflection and flew past the glass like a moving blur. She could hear swift footsteps growing fainter by the second.

"Wait! Come back!" The frustrated ginger tugged harder at her restraints, trying to follow along with the sound. "I'm locked in here!"

*KLIK!*

A bright spotlight appeared in the distance beyond the glass. The limited light displayed a presentation stage that was designed like a barn. Faded red painted wooden planks formed the walls and the flooring. The barn door, consisting of crossed patched white beams, was sealed up with chains and a connecting padlock. A flowing supply of messy brownish hay covered the sides of the barn-stage, bursting out from a number of crates, stacks, as well as a shattered, abandoned wagon in the far right corner. A long, rusted pitchfork stuck out of one of the piles. A blank television monitor was mounted in the ceiling, its edges covered with cobwebs.

At the front of the stage, Wendy made out four figures standing eerily still. Her eyes adjusting to the light, they were revealed to be human-sized animal animatronics, each holding a different musical instrument.

On the left, a giant beaver with thick artificial orange fur held an electronic guitar shaped like a slice of pepperoni pizza. It wore a gray vest between its massive arms. Red and yellow overalls were supported by a single strap. A yellow baseball cap way too small for its head was sown to the beaver's brow.

To its right, a slight shorter purple feathered owl clung to an acoustic guitar crafted from an old cereal box and attached strings. It, too wore orange dungarees, but with a canary, collared dress shirt underneath. A novelty cowboy hat topped off its outfit.

In the middle-right, another beaver clumsily wrapped its fingers around a half-broken banjo. This female variation had thinner light-brown fuzz poking out of a sun-yellowed and red trimmed cheerleader uniform. The longer portions of hair on its head were tied into tiny pigtails. Light green eyeshadow and rosy cheek makeup was airbrushed into its face permanently.

The final creature was a googly-eyed frog sporting the same cowboy hat as the male beaver. Set in a bow-legged position, its white-gloved hands hovered over a pair of dusty bongos. An oversized red bowtie was tied around its enormous neck. Beneath it, the frog sported an opened black vest with white shirt stretched across its girth.

All four robots stared blankly with soulless blue eyes; their mouths frozen wide open for all eternity.

 _"Nope. Not creepy at all…"_ Wendy smarted off, as she rubbed her skin. _"But there's something really familiar about those guys…"_

*SSSSSSSSSSS!*

Dozens of tiny bulbs surrounding the front of the stage instantly buzzed on; the brightest coming from a huge flashing marquee above the platform.

 _"Hoo-Ha's Jamboree?"_ Wendy read silently. She snapped her fingers. "That's where I know them from! Big Beaver, Hoo-Ha, Cheer Beaver, and Cowpoke Frog! They're the singing 'bots from the pizza place in the mall! How could've I forget?"

When the enigmatic Bill Cipher unleashed Weirdmageddon upon Gravity Falls, she had fled his forces, sealing herself in the Pizzeria for shelter until Dipper had discovered her hiding place days later. Wendy shuddered at the memories of waking in the middle of the night, the first face she'd come across was one of the cold, nightmarish machines grinning happily at her panic.

Needless to say, the plucky cashier solved that dilemma by breaking the animatronics into pieces.

 _"Hang on! If I'm here, does that mean I'm out of the game? Am I back home?"_

Another screech filled the musky air as the large speakers set to the sides of the stage turned on. A slow, distorted tune came out of the twisted stereo. Mechanical gray rats next to the speakers bobbed up and down out of opened barrels to the beat of the creepy music. The television in the back of the barn gave off a rolling, static-filled program. One by one, the animal automatons sprang to life, their bodies shifting side to side slightly as their arms raked their fake instruments. Four individual, cartoony voices played from the opened mouths in an off-key ensemble:

 _So, you're spending the night at Hoo-Ha's Jamboree?  
Not the wisest choice to make, you see!  
For this place is quite different than during the day.  
When the sun goes down, it's time for us to play! _

_"What the hell is this?"_ Wendy searched for an answer. _"Is this someone's idea of a joke?"_

Each robot slid to the center of the stage, uttering their unique part of the song before giving way for the next member of the band to perform their solo. Big Beaver was the first:

 _Don't get us wrong. Singing and dancing for the young'uns, we love!  
And after so long, it's really easy to get sick of!  
But since us robots can't complain or scream,  
we have our own way to blow off some steam. _

Cheer Beaver was the next to sing:

 _When the kiddies go home and the mall closes for the day,  
it's time to come to life! Hooray!  
We have the whole place to ourselves, to hang out and play,  
But other folks don't seem to like it that way… _

She went back, making way for Cowpoke Frog. He moved smoothly, despite remaining in his kneeling stance:

 _The Powers That Be, boy, aren't they blowhards?  
Thought they'd stop our nightly mayhem with a security guard.  
Little do they know, it won't do a single thing.  
By our count, you're the third guard we'll wring! _

At last, Hoo-Ha himself took the stage:

 _Forgive our murderous attitudes,  
but your being-here is just darn right rude.  
Another example must now take place.  
I'm afraid I'll have to eat your face! _

"I'll munch on her fingers!" Cheer Beaver added.

"I'll bite off her toes!" Big Beaver chimed in.

"And I call dibs on her cute button nose!" Cowpoke Frog croaked.

The singing troupe joined in broken chorus for one last verse:

 _Beg or plea, it's far too late.  
You're about to end up on our dinner plate.  
While we're glad you saw us play live.  
Please understand there's no chance you'll survive! _

*KLIK!*

All of the lights in the Pizzeria shut off as the ghoulish laughter of the maniacal machines filled the night air. Wendy strained to see what was happening on the other side of the glass. The hairs on her neck stood on end as seconds passed like hours.

*KLIK!*

The room was silent as the lights returned a few moments later, although much dimmer than before. Thankfully, the emergency lighting kicked in, enabling a bit of visibility throughout the closed restaurant, including that on Wendy's side of the mirror. In a rush, she turned to the center stage, to the animatronics that had threatened to devour her piece by piece.

 _The stage was empty. All four animals had disappeared from their resting place, leaving open mounts poking out of the wooden flooring._

"Oh, man…" Wendy sunk into her chair in horror. The now-enabled bulbs decorating the roof allowed her to see her surroundings. She was in some kind of security office; the same type that the mischievous high-schooler was often dragged into when caught doing pranks at the mall with her friends. The security glass wrapped around the room to the left and right, embedded into the black and white chessboard walling. The dirty floor contained the same pattern, save for being recreated with tile. A rusty ventilation shaft was set above the rightmost window, fastened with a barred cover by limed-over screws. Behind her, a sturdy silver door led to the outside world, but due to her predicament, it felt like a million miles away.

Wendy was seated next to a heavy, yet polished black desk set directly beneath the window. Two rolling drawers rested above her jeaned knees. She jiggled every handle, finding that they were locked. A network of small electronic monitors was set up on the left corner, with two rows of three on top of one another, all showing a dead screen. Various articles of trash, including half-empty paper cups and rolled up burger wrappers surrounded the sets. Above them, a small steel-wired fan was straddled above, just as the tip of the mirror met the roof's edge. Even with partial power restored, its blades remained motionless, much to Wendy's dismay.

On the other end of the desk, a pearl-colored console had been elevated on a slant, allowing for easy access. Within its neon frame, three rows of three red buttons were marked with white labels containing smeared illegible blue handwriting.

 _"Great…"_

In the center of the table, a beige-colored ringed binder was left next to a flashlight left right side up. Covered with a thin layer of dust, a mess of papers and sheets nudged out from the binder's open end. A label was hastily taped to the front cover, its title neatly written with black ink:

 **"HOO-HA OWL'S PIZZAMATRONIC JAMBOREE SECURITY GUIDELINES."**

 _"I don't get it?"_ Wendy poked at the guide in front of her. _"I'd be lying if I said this wasn't the first time I found myself cuffed up in a mall cop's post, but why now? What does this have to do with finding Dipper? I mean, I remember hearing how that strange video anime chick-thingie Soos got from the used game store brought the robots to life during his and Melody's first date, but I messed them up during Weirdmageddon. Who rebuilt them, yet alone this whole place?"_

She gulped, _"What if it's that crazy broad that put me here? Was it her gawking at me from the other side of the mirror?"_ After a minute to think things out, Wendy changed focus. _"On second thought, scratch that. Dipper said that she could only pop up in computers and arcade machines and electronic stuff. She can't take a physical form. Then, who's doing all this?"_

*SCR-E-E-E-CH!*

Wendy raised her head, seeing that something had scraped the bottom of the security window, leaving behind three jagged lines. A gaggle of creepy chuckles traveled along the right side of the office, drifting away into the dark.

 _"I gotta get outta here!"_

With the newly provided light, Wendy set her sights on the floor beneath her. She immediately spotted huge bolts set through the chair's legs, nailing them into the tiles themselves.

 _"So, that's why this thing isn't moving…"_

The redhead struggled to see under her seat, in hopes of identifying what held her legs hostage. Wendy groaned as her joints popped as she tried to lean over the chair's left arm, the stern wood jamming into her ribs. She braced the desk and pulled as much as possible; the pinching against her booted shins stung even harder.

From this, Wendy finally found her answer. After the back pegs of the chair, two titanium rods stood out from under the wooden seat, ending before they hit the checkboard floor. The tip was comprised of a thin, but sound shining-silver fetter that snagged her just above the ankle.

Wendy watched as she tested her limits again, wiggling her feet up and down and side to side. The stubborn metal refused to give an inch in any direction. The pressure created by the snug shackles stopped her from shedding her boots for a hasty escape.

 _"Well, that's swell..."_ She relaxed her body from its contorted shape. _"I feel like an animal in one of Dad's traps in the woods."_ Wendy went to her only companion: the worried reflection glaring from the glass. _"And go figure, the one time I don't have any special outfits or powers or – "_

She paused, realizing the answer was looking her in the face:

 _"All I have is me…"_

Instantly, Wendy checked her side, finding that her trusty hatchet or its hoister hadn't been returned to her. _"Okay, that would have been too easy."_ Her eyes rolled upward towards her trapper hat. _"But I'll bet that the bad guys didn't think about this…"_

She lifted her cap up and dug into her red locks. _"Please be there. Oh, please be there…"_ After a few seconds, her fingers came upon something small. _"Oh, yeah, baby! Score!"_

Wendy plucked a marbled bobby-pin from her auburn hair. She fumbled with the hairpin, turning it into a makeshift lock pick within seconds. The lumberjane scooted to the edge of the seat, and reached beneath the seat with her left hand. She waved around blindly for a moment, coming into contact with the closest restraint. Wendy took caution to not slip and lose her grip; she couldn't slide her thumb between the manacle and her jeaned shin.

 _"Gotcha! Now, here comes the hard part…"_

While hanging on to the lock pick, Wendy lowered her right hand, making sure not to smack her head on the desk as she curved forward. Guiding the way with her index finger, she felt the cool metal and traced the rounded surface in search of a keyhole, the bobby-pin scratching the cuff as it was towed along.

But something was wrong. What should have taken an instant turned into minutes as Wendy's fingers went around and around, finding nothing but a smoothed surface.

 _"This…this can't be right. I know! I'll check my other foot! Mebbe; mebbe it's some kind of puzzle, where I have to do one before the other. Like a sequence or something!"_

Wendy leaned to her right and switched legs, attempting to bring her right boot as close as possible. She bit down on her lip to keep her hands from shaking. After a few tries, the girl found the right cuff and grasped it steadfast. Once more, Wendy examined the polished cuff for any sign of a keyhole. Her fingertips failed to find a part where the shackle would separate, as if it had always been one whole piece.

 _There wasn't a keyhole to be found. There wasn't an escape to be found._

 _"Oh, no. No. No. No…"_

Wendy slumped forward onto the desk in defeat. She pounded her fist until it went numb. Her mind went back to her father's snares in the Gravity Falls Woods – in particular of how she would accidentally fall into them from time to time in the past. More often than not, the budding lumberjack princess would be able to make her own escape, either by leaving her footwear behind or by cutting her way out of danger.

However, there were a few rare occasions where the ginger found herself caught without weaponry or wiggle-room given. In those cases, despite her utter shame and humiliation, Wendy would have no choice to cast her pride and call out for help, hoping that someone close by would help.

But she knew the awful truth; this time, there would be no rescue to be had. No one knew Wendy was here, far away from home, but someone made certain that she couldn't get free under her own power.

 _"Hee-Hee-Hee-Hee…"_

A series of giggles circled the security office, prompting her to peek out from her folded arm. The demonic robots took turns taunting their captive audience verse by verse:

 _Oh, hey there. Looks like you're still quite stuck.  
Isn't that quite a bit of bad luck?  
But don't be sad. Please don't you cry.  
We're coming soon, and then, it's your turn to die! _

Their mirth grew further away until it waned past the office's corner. In spite of her dire plight, one solid thought was lodged in her mind, unshaken by the horrific scenario playing out beyond her control:

 _"Dipper…"_

Wendy sat back in the secured seat. "Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. If Dipper was here, what would he do?"

 _"He'd freak out in a nervous wreck the same way you just did."_

"Okay," She continued to coach herself. "But what he'd do after that?"

 _"He'd look for a clue or hint on what to do next, like the dorky, nerdy little detective he is. What, do you think he can do anything with those noodle-arms of his? Dip uses his brain and whatever's available to him to make it through."_

Her emerald eyes came upon the black binder she tossed aside before. Left without any other option, Wendy pulled the security guidelines closer and opened it, discovering a number of laminated white pages properly placed into the three clickable rings. She took the first page and read aloud:

"WELCOME TO THE HOO-HA OWL'S PIZZAMATRONIC JAMBOREE FAMILY! WE ARE GRATEFUL AND PLEASED BY YOUR DECISION TO JOIN OUR BUDDING SECURITY TEAM. IT IS TRULY OUR HONOR TO INITIATE YOU INTO YOUR NEW ROLE AS A PART OF THE NIGHT PATROL."

"I'm sure it is…" Wendy cracked wise, shuffling her shackled ankles again. "Like I had a choice here…"

She went on, "RECENTLY, THE LOCAL NEWS HAS FOCUSED ON THE UNFORUNATE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED IN OUR GRAVITY FALLS, OREGON LOCATION, DUE IN FAULT TO A.I. ERROR IN OUR ANIMATRONICS."

Below the description, a torn portion of the Gravity Falls Gossiper covered the remaining text. The paper was held on by two thin strips of scotch tape. The bold headline stated, "BLOODTHIRSTY ROBOTS WREAK HAVOC UPON PATRONS!" An accompanying black and white photograph showed the four brand name animals – the same that taunted her - pursuing fleeing families with sharpened claws raised and razor-like teeth exposed. Pure madness could be seen in their glowing eyes.

 _"It's like how Dipper said it was: these creeps look like they mean business. And here I was hoping they were just all talk…"_

Below the blurb, the manual offered one last line: "AS PART OF OUR TRUSTED TEAM, YOU ARE PRIVY TO CLASSIFIED AND SENSITIVE INFORMATION THAT COULD IMPACT YOUR ROLE ON THE HOO-HA TEAM. THAT BEING SAID, IT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED THAT THE OUTBREAK IN GRAVITY FALLS WAS NOT THE FIRST ONE RECORDED…"

"Wait, what?!" Wendy exclaimed. She couldn't believe what she had read, promptly flipping the page to discover the truth behind the statement. Along the next two pages, a collection of newspaper clippings was set between the sealed pages, serving as citations to the narration that followed:

"SINCE ITS INCEPTION, HOO-HA OWL'S PIZZAMATRONIC JAMBOREE HAS BEEN HOST TO A HISTORY OF GRUESOME, YET UNEXPLANIBLE EVENTS INVOLVING OUR BELOVED MASCOTS."

Another typed article was attached below it. The white paper turned yellow from age. Due to the way it was torn from its source, Wendy wasn't able to tell where it originally was from. The article began with the headline: CHILD MAIMED IN APPALLING ACCIDENT!

A much smaller text told the story, _"On August 8_ _th_ _, a young male whose name was withheld due to their age was severely injured during an attempted prank at Hoo-Ha Owl's Pizzamatronic Jamboree. As the server was distracted by other guests, the child had been dared by his peers to sneak backstage and tamper with a supposedly non-functioning version of the company's famed "Big Beaver" character. The boy had stuck his arm into the machine's open mouth when suddenly – "_

"O-kay! Done with that tale! Gotta feeling I already know how it ends…" Wendy traveled down to the included picture, showing a thin gurney covered by a white sheet carefully loaded into an ambulance by two queasy-looking police officers. "Yep! Totally called it."

A new article was plastered on the third page, "CHILD DISAPPEARANCES LINKED TO LOCAL RESTAURANT." Wendy noticed that the publisher of the article was someplace dubbed the "Ohio Valley Rumormonger."

 _"Ohio Valley? They weren't kidding, were they? I really thought this dump was always here in Gravity Falls._ " She began to scan through the story.

 _"A group of pre-teens from a local school have been reported missing since Friday. According to a classmate that asked to remain anonymous, the friends had planned to spend the night at the Hoo-Ha Owl's Pizzamatronic Jamboree Restaurant in order to disprove the ongoing rumors of the famed establishment being haunted._

 _While a police investigation is still pending, our sources report that despite evidence showing that a break-in had indeed occurred, no clues lead to confirm that the missing children were behind the activity, save for an unidentified shredded denim knapsack and a half-chewed-up sneaker. All of the security footage was erased from the system; something that detectives believe that average middle schoolers would not have the know-how to do so._

 _The most disturbing detail (to which our local boys in blue refuse to officially acknowledge) was that there was a report of red-stained fingerprints smeared all over the restaurant's emergency exit, almost like someone had desperately tried to escape._

 _The Rumormonger will be on the lookout to any updates to this continuing story. Stay tuned!"_

 _"Huh…"_ Wendy rested her elbows on the desk, holding her weary head upwards. _"From the looks of things, it seems like these dirtbags move anytime they get an ounce of bad press. But what's their deal? And what does this have to do with me?"_

The handbook's narration picked up shortly after:

"DURING THE COURSE OF SEVERAL YEARS, OUR TALENTED ENGINEERS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIND THE CATALYIST(S) RESPONISBLE FOR THESE OUTBURSTS, ONLY TO COME UP EMPTY-HANDED. SOME THINK IT IS AN ERROR IN THE ANIMATRONICS' PROGRAMMING, WHILE THE SUPERSTITOUS BELIEVE THAT THE MASCOTS ARE POSSESSED BY THE SOULS OF THOSE REPORTED TO BE MISSING WITHIN OUR HALLOWED HALLS – A VAGUE REFERENCE TO THE ALLEGED, BUT COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED RUMORS INVOLVING OUR C.E.O., CREATOR AND DESIGNER OF HOO-HAA AND HIS FRIENDS THEMSELVES."

 _"Gee, imagine that. The guy that created creepy, life-size robots turns out to be a complete nutbag. Yeah, can't really picture that. Honestly."_

"REGARDLESS, ONE FACT RINGS TRUE: DESPITE CONTANT REVISIONS AND REDESIGNS TO THE MACHINERY, THESE INCIDENTS CONTINUE TO PLAGUE OUR INDUSTRY. INSTEAD OF WASTING PREVIOUS MANPOWER AND RESOURCES ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, THE CORPORATE OFFICE DECIDED TO REINVEST INTO OUR SECURITY DETAIL, IN HOPES OF QUELLING SUCH OCCURRENCES.

BY ESPECIALLY FOCUSING OUR EFFORTS ON OVERNIGHT SHIFTS, WE BELIEVE THAT INTRUDER BREAK-INS WILL BE DRAMATICALLY REDUCED, ELIMINATING THE POSSIBILITY OF OUTSIDE SABOTAGE TO OUR EQUIPMENT, ALL THE WHILE PUTTING TO BED THE RIDICULOUS NOTION THAT HOO-HA AND HIS GANG MOVE FREELY OF THEIR OWN ACCORD IN A QUEST FOR MURDEROUS VENGEANCE."

 _"Alright, alright…"_ Wendy nodded along, turning the page. _"We're two for two so far, but at least we're getting to the point."_

"YOUR JOB AS OUR NEWEST SECURITY RECUIT IS TO PRESERVE THE ORDER AND PROSPERITY HOO-HA OWL'S PIZZAMATRONIC JAMBOREE PRIDES ITSELF ON. FOR THIS, THE CORPORATE OFFICE HAS GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED THE FINEST IN LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO AID IN YOUR TASK.

YOUR SECURITY STATION HAS BEEN EQUIPPED WITH A CLOSED-CIRCUIT NETWORK CONSISTING OF SIX SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED ACROSS THE PIZZERIA. EACH LINE IS LINKED INTO ONE OF THE MONITORS FOUND ON YOUR IMMEDIATE LEFT. USE THESE TO MAINTAIN AN EAGLE-EYE VIEW OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND KEEP A LOOK-OUT FOR SIGNS OF TROUBLE."

"Hold up!" Wendy stopped reading. "They expect me to use those broke-ass TVs? The damned things don't even wo – "

*BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ*

Before Wendy could raise her head, all six screens had turned on, displaying a different viewpoint of the restaurant in monochrome. Judging from the wavering vantage shots, she could tell that the cameras shifted back and forth in an effort to capture as much ground as possible.

 _"Well, isn't that awfully convenient?"_ She lightly tapped the upper-right TV, hoping to get see a change. _"Black and white? You have to be kiddin' me. All that talk about "we're the best" and they couldn't even spring for colored screens? Cheap bastards…"_

Wendy returned to the instruction manual left for her:

"THE CONTROL PANEL TO YOUR RIGHT CONTROLS THE MANUAL LIGHTING SET ACROSS THE RESTAURANT. DURING CLOSING HOURS, ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS ARE SHIFTED TO LIMITED POWER IN ORDER TO INSURE PROFICIENCY. THE NINE BUTTONS BEFORE YOU ACTIVATES A PARTICULAR SPOTLIGHT LOCATED IN THE CEILING, GIVING YOU THE CHANCE TO GET THE DROP ON ANY TRESPASSERS LURKING ABOUT IN THE SHADOWS."

"Big lights, eh?" Wendy's hand curiously hovered over the console. "What's that going to do? Give a nasty case of sunburn or something?" Her finger tapped the middle-left trigger with a *CLICK!*

*POP!*

A haunting, piercing screech echoed in the empty restaurant. Wendy hopped out of her seat in reflex, only to be tugged down by her shackles. She observed the security displays with awe as a spectral figure blanketed in a brightened beam ran past half of the screens and into the dark. The screaming ceased quickly after.

"The light…" The girl let out a chuckle of relief. "Those things…they're afraid of the light! But that doesn't make any sense. They were just fine singin' and dancin' on stage a few minutes ago. What's the difference here?"

She playfully tapped all the switches, listening to the loud *POP* with every touch, noting where the light would appear on the monitors. Through experimentation, Wendy discovered that the top row controlled the lights in front of her post. The ones to the left and right activated those to the sides of the office, outside the windows. The center button brought a spotlight on in the office from a lighting affixed high above. The bottom row illuminated the areas behind the workplace, the middle shining over the exit.

With a press of a new button, the previous one would return to its neutral position.

 _"Hmm. Maybe I can…"_ Wondering if she could cheat the system, Wendy held a finger over the furthest buttons on each side, hesitating for a second before jamming downwards at the same time.

"YES!" She celebrated, as the two lights turn on. "Maybe I can jimmy this baby so that all of these – "

*HISSSSSSSSSSSSS*

The spotlights flickered repeatedly as the console gave off an ominous buzzing noise. With a deafening bang, all nine buttons sunk deep into the control panel. _"Huh? What gives?"_ Wendy dug around, using her fingernails to wedge the buttons loose to no prevail. _"Ugh! Guess that's what I get for tryin' to cheat the system – "_

*BLAM!*

A large black blot threw itself against the front of the security glass, causing Wendy to fly back into her chair. The light from the office reflected onto the barrier, revealing the attacker's identity. Big Beaver himself was moving of his own accord, scrapping the reinforced glass with both paws, similar to a dog asking to come back inside its home.

Still, the condition of the robot had changed in the short time since Wendy had saw it last. A portion of fur had been wiped clean from the right side of his face, exposing the motorized infrastructure beneath. Several holes were poked into his yellow baseball cap, almost like it was eaten away by moths. The connecting strap of his overalls snapped off, wagging it across the floor with his every moment.

Most haunting of all, the soft fur of Big Beaver's arms was stripped away, unveiling thinning iron fingers, each harboring a pointed end that agonizingly scratched the glass, stripping it down bit by bit with each stroke. The soft black eyes were now a laser red, solely focusing on the struggling teenager.

"Not funny…" He spoke not in sing-song, but with a raspy whisper. "Hurting…with the light… makes me want to eat you more!"

Wendy screamed as she went to hop out of her seat, the fetters keeping her immobile. She clutched both of the chair's arms tightly and pulled as hard as she could. Her muscles tensed up as Wendy felt the circulation in her feet get cut off, but she didn't care. The rods slightly whined with her every thrash.

 _"Ah! Come on, already!"_

The nimble fighter kept at it as the maniac machine shed layer after layer of glass under its dagger-like hands. Wendy figured that if she didn't break the cuffs first, she might be able to rip them free from the chair itself.

 _"C'mon, dammit! Something's gotta give before that thing – "_

*CLICK!*

Wendy's emerald eyes lit up as all of the buttons on the console sprang up at once. She lunged forward, her numbed ankles held firm, and slammed on the upper-center button with her palm.

*SMACK!*

The spotlight set above the booth snapped on, bathing the ramping menace with a glorious beam. Big Beaver squealed with a rusty shriek, raising his hands over his face to protect his eyes. "L-L-Light! T-T-Too bright! Too bright!" He bolted from the scene, its heavy footfalls reduced to an echo as the scene returned to the eerie silence.

Wendy slipped back into the chair with a relieved sigh, trying to become comfortable, considering the circumstance. Her interest piqued, she reclaimed the security guidelines binder, brushing the shards of glass off the book, and found where she left off.

"WARNING: YOU MUST TAKE CARE TO ACTIVATE ONLY ONE OF THE LIGHTS AT A SINGLE TIME, OR ELSE THE SYSTEM'S CIRCUIT BREAKER WILL GO INTO EFFECT AND TEMPORARILY CEASE ALL POWER SAVE FOR EMERGENCY FUNCTIONALLY."

 _"A little late for ol' Wendy on that one, kids."_ The agitated high-school clicked her tongue while glancing at the large crack left in the window. _"Then again, it's on me for fooling around with this stuff without reading ahead."_

"IT IS EXTREMELY VITAL TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE BOTH THE LIGHTING AND MONITORING SYSTEMS ARE INDEED USEFUL TOOLS TO COMPELETING YOUR TASK, THEY ARE BY NO MEANS PERFECT."

 _"Ha! Understatement of the year here, folks!"_

"THEY ARE MEANT TO USED IN TANDEM. AS THERE ARE LIMATIONS TO THE LIGHTING, THERE ARE CERTAIN BLIND SPOTS TO WHICH OUR CAMERAS CANNOT OBSERVE. USE ONE ITEM TO MAKE UP FOR THE OTHER'S SHORTCOMINGS AND VICE VERSA. ONLY YOUR CHOICES WILL ALLOW FOR MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY, THEREBY MAKING YOUR JOB AS PAINLESS AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE."

 _"Liar…"_ Wendy grumbled, as she noticed a flicker by the bottom row of screens. Something was banging away on the office's door.

"Let me in!" It squawked between knocks. "I wanna peck out those pretty green eyes of yours! They'll look great in my head!"

Unfazed by the grisly threat, Wendy showed little attention to the invader, as she tapped the bottom-center button, activating the spotlight above the doorway. "Go away; busy reading…"

*POP!"

She could hear a shrill yelp racing around the security office. Wendy saw the figure in the TVs wildly flap its wings as it vanished from sight. A satisfied smirk spread across her dimpled face.

 _"Heh. Take that, Hoo-Ha Owl…"_

The last line on the page offered a promise: "IF ALL ELSE FAILS, AND YOU FIND YOURSELF OVERWHELMED BY UNCONQUERABLE ODDS, THERE IS ONE SURE-FIRE WAY TO GUARANTEE SUCCESS AND ENSURE YOUR WELL-BEING…"

 _"Now we're talkin'!"_

Wendy looked to her right, finding that the next page had been ripped straight from the clickable rings, leaving only the ends of the source. She juggled the torn plastic with her fingertips and rolled her eyes.

 _"Isn't that friggin' something? I swear, if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. What's this?"_

She noted the bold headline on the following page. Wendy quickly sped through the text, seeing a vast difference in tone, as the topic at hand took a serious turn:

 **REVISION 2.0:**

"ADJUSTMENTS AND ALTERATIONS MADE TO THE SECURITY PROGRAM WERE PROVEN TO BE UNPRODUCTIVE. MANUFUNCTIONING ROBOT REPORTS ARE ON THE RISE, AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, STORIES OF EMPLOYEE PANIC ATTACKS AND EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWNS HAVE REACHED THE CORPORATE OFFICE.

FOR THIS, THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD CHOSE TO ADOPT A NEW DIRECTIVE; ONE A BIT MORE HARSH THAN GIVEN IN THE PAST, BUT ONE THAT IT IS ASSURED TO SEE POSITIVE RESULTS FROM THIS POINT ON.

AMENDMENT 1: ALL SECURITY DOORS AND WINDOWS WILL BE REINFORCED TO AVOID FURTHER COSMETIC DAMAGE. IN CONJUNCTION, ELECTRONIC LOCKS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE SECURITY OFFICE'S DOOR TO PREVENT THE OPERATOR FROM LEAVING THE OFFICE AND TAMPERING WITH THE ANIMATRONICS AFTER HOURS. THE CIRCUITRY CONTROLLING THE LOCKS WILL ACTIVATE AFTER A FIVE MINUTE GRACE PERIOD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EMPLOYEE'S SHIFT, AND DISABLE ITSELF AT THE END OF SAID SHIFT. ANY EMPLOYEE FOUND TO BE LOCKED OUT OF THEIR ASSIGNED PLACEMENT WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE MARKED AS A "NO CALL, NO SHOW" FOR THE DAY.

AMENDMENT 2: DUE TO THE MASSIVE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE PARANOIA OF FORMER SECURITY DETAIL, MANAGEMENT HAS ORDERED THAT ALL FURNITURE WITHIN THE SECURITY OFFICE (I.E. TABLES AND DESKS, SEATING) BE SECURED TO THE FLOOR TO DISCOURAGE USE AS BLUDGEONING TOOLS."

Below the paragraph, a hazy snapshot was adhered to the binder as a reference. It showed one of the security windows – the same found in the office Wendy was trapped in, shattered to the point of near-breaking. A smaller, steel chair was left on the floor, near-splintered with shards of glass embedded from the constant blows.

The creepiest aspect of the print was that a set of bloody handprints had soiled the strengthened pane. The same coloring could be easily seen on legs of the chair.

 _Someone had frantically tried to break out of the sealed room, and from the looks of it, ultimately failed in their escape._

"Oof…" Wendy gulped. "Brutal…"

"AMENDMENT 3: (UPDATE MK2) THE RECENT CHANGES TO THE SECURITY REGIMEN HAS SHOWN A LARGE AMOUNT OF RESENTMENT AND AGITATION AMONG EMPLOYEES (E.G. MINDLESSLY PACING AND SCRAMBLING ACROSS THE SECURITY OFFICE, ETC), ONE LAST ADDITION HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO MAXIMIZE POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE.

OUR SCIENTISTS HAVE ATTACHED SPECIAL SENSORS TO THE CHAIRS IN THE SECURITY OFFICE, SO WHEN AN MEMBER OF STAFF SITS IN THEIR STATIONED SEAT, AUTOMATED FOOT RESTRAINTS ARE TRIGGERED, SECURING THE SUBJECT IN PLACE AND INHIBITING THEM FROM LEAVING THEIR GIVEN POST.

AT FIRST, SUCH TREATMENT MIGHT APPEAR CRUEL, BUT WHEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR CUSTOM-MADE POSTURIFIC CHAIRS, EVEN THE MOST STUBBORN SECURITY OFFICER COULD PERFROM THEIR DUTIES WITH THE HIGH QUALITY OF COMFORT GIVEN WITHOUT COMPLAINT."

 _"Comfort my freckled butt!"_ Wendy griped. _"Would it have killed them to give me a little wiggle-room here? My feet keep falling asleep! Maybe this'll tell me how to take these things off…"_

"ONLY AFTER THE ASSIGNED DAILY JOB IS COMPLETED, WILL THE RESTRAINTS BE RELEASED, AND THE EMPLOYEE BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE. IT MUST BE DOCUMENTED THAT THE CIRCUITS THAT CONTROL THE SECURITY DOOR'S LOCKS AND THE METAL ANKLETS ARE SEPARATE FROM THOSE RUNNING THE RESTAURANT'S LIGHTING AND SURVEILLANCE. THEREFORE, PURPOSELY CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL BLACKOUT WILL NOT PROVIDE THE OPERATOR'S FREEDOM, BUT RATHER RISK PLACING THEM IN HARM'S WAY VIA EXTERNAL THREATS."

 _"Crap! That was going to be my second question! And what's this garbage about "my daily job?" What's that about?"_

"HEADQUARTERS DOES UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE THESE MODIFICATIONS ARE FAR FROM PERFECT, THEY ARE THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS AT HAND WITH THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE. AS TIME PASSES, MORE CHANGES ARE EXPECTED TO HELP STREAMLINE THE PROCESS AND CREATE A MORE NATURAL FLOW."

Another photograph was glued to the bottom of the page. At first glance, Wendy had to turn away from the sight; her cheeks grew puffy as her stomach released nauseated burps one after another. She lost her breath. Taking a moment to collect herself, the clerk gradually returned to the unsettling image.

 _"Dude…that's so messed up!"_

The picture was that of the very chair where Wendy was currently confined to. Before it, she make out two severed denim-slacked legs held in place above the victim's sneakers by the familiar silver shackles. Gallons of red goop dripped from both calves and down the pants, completely turning the white gym socks a heavy pink, before ending up as a dark marking on the two-toned flooring below.

Fortunately, due to the angle that the shot was taken, Wendy couldn't see the full view of the messy aftermath, but the fate of the previous night watchperson was obviously clear. She grimaced again, coming across a graphic aspect that was missed earlier:

The fronts of the victim's shoes were pulled back, as a red splatter without form or shape lingered in their place. Wendy's toes instantly curled up inside her boots, as she recalled the beavers' gleeful song about feasting on her digits.

The bottom of the instant photo was marked with a black marker, its message somewhat callous and ignorant. "LOOK INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF AN EMERGENCY OVERRIDE – JUST IN CASE."

"Y-Y-You think?" Wendy tried to crack wise, but the stress was getting to her. "Hope-Hope they least had the sense to clean this off before throwing me in here…" She noticed a bead of blood on her finger. _"Nice. Papercut's all I need right now."_ Yet, the wound didn't sting at the touch.

 _"Where'd this come from?"_ The lumberjack princess traced it back to the opposite side of the page; the last of the binder. She flipped it over, and gasped. One final message was messily handwritten in red blots on the sheet, eternally dried on the lamination as a warning to all:

 _"Don't believe their lies! We are nothing but expendable test subjects to them!  
Anything is worth sacrificing to protect their precious killer mascots!  
The only way to stop them is to stay in the light! They can't stand the light!  
It's the only way to win their game! It's the only way to free yourself!  
Stay alert! Don't fall asleep!  
They're smarter than you think! They're deadlier than you think!"_

Wendy closed the binder and shoved it aside. _"Their game…"_ she repeated, as it left her puzzled. _"It's so unusual they put it like that. And with the way this whole whacked setup works with the lights and the cameras, it sounds like a stupid gimmick right out of a video – "_

Abruptly, the teen threw her head back and laughed, slapping her sweat-beaded brow with relief as she stared at the ceiling. "Wendy-girl, you definitely have your moments, but sometimes, you can be a total flake…"

 _She had finally figured everything out._

Wendy crossed her arms and scooted up. _"I am still in the game. With all of the craziness happening, I totally spaced on out on Dipper had told me a few weeks back. After Soos and Melody's date left this place in scrambles, the pizzeria's owner was going to close up shop when he decided to cash in on all of the negative publicity. Since the dude's apparently some kinda mechanical genius, he started working on this crappy-looking indie game that went viral like overnight!"_

She chortled again, _"Man, was Stan pissed off about that. The guy went from the brink of bankruptcy to super-rich in days. Toy companies and book publishers were breaking down his door for a piece of that cheddar. I forgot that they were in the middle of rebuilding that hellhole when I was using it as my hideout. So, all that stuff about fatal accidents and missing kids? It's nothing but a bunch of bull hockey that some weirdo whipped up on an old PC in his garage!"_

Her smile faded as Wendy soberly remembered how she first heard the tale: Dipper was chattering away while they were in the Mystery Shack's Gift Shop, retelling the current events, all the while excitedly clutching a cheap knock-off smart phone. "You outta try this game, Wendy! It has all these jump scares and it's kinda cool and terrible all together!"

With her nose buried in a gossip magazine, the slacker propped her shoulders against the wall, rocking back on her stool, as she propped her feet up on the worn counter. Wendy simply stuck out her hand and offered a simple wave. "Nah. Maybe later, buddy…"

Her thoughts clouded with guilt, Wendy sat upright, wishing that she was able to curl into a ball on the chair. _"Geez. I didn't mean to blow him off like that. But, Dip…he knows that, right?"_ She forced an uneasy laugh _. "It's not like the poor kid hangs on my every word…yeah."_

She sighed, holding her face in her hands _. "Mebbe if I didn't ignore a ton of things, I wouldn't end up in so much trouble."_ Wendy fell deeper in depression. _"Mebbe if I paid closer attention to him, he – we wouldn't be in this mess."_

*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*

Hoo-Ha Owl returned, pounding on the leftmost window with both wings. His head was planted on the glass, his laser eyes shining against the surface. "Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Who's getting hungry?! I know I am!"

"Do you mind?" Wendy snapped, throwing her fist onto the middle-left button. "I'm having a moment here!" She didn't even watch as the owlbot stormed from the brightened scene. After a few deep breaths to clear her being, Wendy clapped her hands together. "Alright, that's enough moping! I have to buckle down and stay focused. I know the rules of the game: if I keep those monsters off me, my foot cuffs will unlock and then, I can make like a tree and get out of here."

After her self-inspiring declaration, Wendy could hear mocking laughter in the reserve. "What is that?" She double checked each of the monitors, unable to see anything awry with the varying perspectives.

 _"Hee Tee! She thinks she has it figured out!"  
"She thinks she can win!"  
"But we know better!"  
"Yes. So much better…"  
"She'll get bored…"  
"She'll get tired of waiting…"  
"She'll get sleepy…"  
"But we don't…"  
"We only get hungrier!"  
"And we can wait forever!"_

"Oh, yeah?!" Wendy shouted, shaking a fist into the air. "We'll see about that, you mangy freaks! I can take whatever you can dish out! Whatcha' waiting for?! Bring it on!"

* * *

*ZZZZZZ…*

*BLAM!*

"W-W-What? I'm up! I'm up!" Wendy blinked rapidly as she lifted her chin from her hand. The reminder given by the sight of the enclosed booth sent chills up her spine _._ "Oh no!" She clutched at her cheeks in a nervous fashion. "You lazy moron! What did you do? Did those things do – "

The distraught warrioress attempted to calm down, "Okay, okay. The last thing I remember was that I was watching the security monitors. It went super quiet since I heard from those dorky robots, and my eyes were getting heavy from the boredom, so I held my head up with my hands and watched the boob tube until I – "

She moaned with disappointment, rubbing the sleep from her eyelids. "Maybe Mr. Pines does have a point. Maybe I do have a problem – "

*BLAM!*

The second bang brought Wendy back to full attention. She scanned the screens, finding nothing troublesome lurking about. Nothing in her current surroundings seemed off. The four animatronics were still missing from their designated standings on stage.

 _"How long was I out?"_ She wondered. _"Minutes? Hours? Hopefully not days?"_

Thinking of the latter, Wendy tried to move her legs, feeling the cruel rigidness of her ankle restraints. _"All right. Feet are still stuck, so the game's back on. Come to think of it, that dumb manual didn't give specifics about these things. It said that they'll open when "my job is complete; when I beat the game." What's that mean? Do I have to scare those creepbots a certain number of times? Or find a way to destroy them? Or is it like a real job and I have to wait for my shift to end?"_

A dreadful notion entered her mind, _"What – What if it is time based? And I slept through the day, when these shackles popped off, only waking up after the grace period passed and they could grab me again?"_

After a moment to reconsider, Wendy shook her head. _"No way. I'm not that heavy of a sleeper. Besides, if they would have let me go, chances are I would have slid off the chair and cracked my face on the floor…"_

*BLAM!*

The noise was getting closer. Wendy continued her search around the local area as more possibilities came to pass. _"But if it's not that, how exactly to do I win?"_

*BLAM!*

The clang was now above her. She looked to the vent near the ceiling as a peculiar echo stemmed from the metal shaft. "It's coming from in there…?"

*POW!*

The vent's grate flew off, as Wendy to shield herself with her flannelled arms. It pinged off the desk, and was left clattering on the ground. A set of parallel red glows peeped out from the inclined gloom. A second later, two small furry hands shot out and snagged each side of the duct. A ponytailed head shortly followed thereafter.

Cheer Beaver reached out from the vent's depths at shoulder-length. Wendy couldn't tell if the robot had gotten wedged in the narrow place. The animatronic's painted-on makeup had somehow melted and become blemished, with dripping black streaks running down her face as if she had been recently crying.

She froze upon locking eyes with Wendy, her goofy, forced grin even more unsettling in the dark. "Hi, there!" Cheer Beaver rotated her swirling eyes, "Y'know, I really like your freckles."

Wendy was left stunned by the compliment. "Um, thank you?"

The beaver slowly nodded, "Then, I hope you wouldn't mind…" Her eyes turned brighter as she swiped at the lanky girl, forcing her deeper in the stiff chair. "If I rip some off those dimples of yours!"

The redhead flinched with every missed swing. "Oh, don't be that way!" Her assailant taunted. "What's a little sharin' between us ladies?" Wendy kept her body far out of range as she extended her left arm, blindly poking the desk until her fingers found the spotlight controller.

She gave a nasty glare to the homicidal attraction as she pounded on the center button. "Take this, ugmo!"

*POP!*

The spotlight clicked on from the center of the room, behind the chair where Wendy was chained. Both human and machine were out of the radiance's scope.

"Tsk!" Cheer Beaver scoffed. "No such luck, sweetie! Now, lemme at those beauty marks!"

 _"Bah!"_ Wendy dodged another scrape. The fuzzy hands ending with steel nails came closer with each roundabout. _"Ain't no way I'm going down to this robo-bimbo without a fight. But what can I do like this? The light can't reach her…"_

As Wendy's eyes combed the desk, she saw the long-ended flashlight left undisturbed by the ongoing chaos. A desperate idea swiftly came to fruition. _"…But maybe I can bring it to her."_

Taking her time to judge her enemy's mindset, Wendy ducked under the deadly paws and scooped up the flashlight with both hands. Holding it against her chest, she pushed the switch up and aimed the bright ray into the android's face.

"HHHHHSSSSSS!" Cheer Beaver hissed loudly, retreating back into the vent, while protecting her sensors from the harmful light with her arms. "Not cool, little sis! Not cool!"

"Isn't that a shame?" Wendy proudly held the flashlight in her hands, making sure to turn it off to preserve its battery life. "Think I'll keep you around for a while." She glimpsed at the end of the table, noticing that something gooey and without shape had dripped from the opening.

Not wanting to touch it with her bare hands, Wendy used her newest weapon as a prodder, poking at the mysterious clump several times before coming to a conclusion:

"Oh, yuck!" Wendy drew away, clutching the light even closer. "It's her skin! Or fluff! Or whatever!"

She had almost forgotten how much the Big Beaver machine had changed after exposure to the oversized lamps. Part of him had melted away, showing off the thinning, yet reinforced metal frame inside.

 _"It's not that they're scared of the light."_ Wendy understood. _"It literally hurts them. Question is, by how much? Can it really -"_

*CRASH!*

Something long and fast broke through the thick glass barrier and lashed Wendy's wrists together. Before she could react, she was yanked forward, hurling her upper body roughly onto the desk. The lumberjane fought the lasso, its touch ice-cold and somewhat sticky like flypaper, before being tugged harder and knocked off her elbows.

She forced her head up to see past the security booth. Cowpoke Frog had positioned himself on the middle of the stage. With his legs firmly planned, he had opened his gaping mouth and extended a stretchy, pink tongue across the restaurant, striking the security glass with enough force to create a small puncture.

Wendy glanced back at the squishy rope knotted around her arms. "Ah, gross!"

The bindings reeled her closer to the still-standing panel inch-by-inch; the tops of her fingers brushed along the area right below the crack. The shackles on Wendy's feet made their presence known, refusing to grant any slack to her lower half. She yelped as her body was overextended beyond its limits, as if she was tortured in a medieval-styled rack.

 _"Too…far…"_ Wendy grit her teeth tightly. _"Gonna rip…me in…two!"_

With the flashlight in hand, she popped the on-switch with both thumbs, figuring that a blast of light might get the automated frog to release her. Due to the way Wendy was pinned down, she couldn't get the beam close to the line of path of her captor. Seeing the shifting reflection on her side of the glass only made her more determined to get loose.

 _"Not done…yet! There has to – "_

*KRAK!*

*SLAM!*

*CRUNCH!*

Wendy twisted, seeing that her current quarters were invaded from all possible directions. Hoo-Ha Owl was now attacking from the right, banging on the shielded viewer with the two steel poles that originally served as his wings. Nearly all of his purple feathers were plucked from his body. The orange-tinted beak hung from its face, turned crooked by the persistent pecking on the heavy-duty office door. One of its eyes had somehow fallen out of its socket, being held up by a sparking wire that seemed to spin forever in one direction, before going back the other way. The red-laser pupil bobbed with his every step.

On Wendy's left, Cheer Beaver had her own methods to break into the office. Lacking the upper-body strength of her counterparts, the simple-minded bionic used what worked best, throwing her weighty head into the dense glass, scraping away a bit of fake flesh with each thwack; her wet makeup smeared onto the crystal clear view as the crack grew bigger. Her jealous red eyes beaded as she focused on her bound goal.

Lastly, something heavy hurled its full weight against the locked security door behind Wendy. The metal whined as the indent became larger. From the inane guffaws heard between dashes, she pegged Big Beaver as the unseen juggernaut behind the developing damage.

 _"Oh, dear heaven! They're working together! That's their plan – one big blitz to get me overwhelmed."_ Wendy came back to the deadliest peril, seeing that Cowpoke Frog had wrapped his arms and legs around one of the barn's support beams, giving himself better leverage to force his prey through the window.

 _"It's just a game, Wendy-girl! There's always a way to win! You have to use your head! You have to – "_

She stopped, noticing that her face was next to the control panel for the lights. Left without any choice, Wendy threw herself nose-first into the console, activating the upper-middle button.

*POP!*

The spotlight in front of the stage turned on. While Cowpoke Frog was safe in the shade of the barn, his gummy tongue was exposed to the rays above. Wendy cringed as the pink tether started to boil and blister. It jolted totteringly until the reptilian mascot was forced to release its grip on her, retreating into the depths of the barn for shelter with a dejected *RIB-BIT!*

"Ah, yeah!" Wendy flicked the leftover goop from her freed hands. "Now you guys are in trouble!" She walloped the bottom-middle button with the flat end of the flashlight.

*POP!*

The slams on the security door halted as Big Beaver roared in agony. Wendy followed the receding villain via the cameras as he raced to the right end of the office. With his vision impaired, the beaver slammed into an unsuspecting Hoo-Ha Owl at high speed, taking them both out of commission.

 _"Got me a twofer! Gotta love it!"_

Wendy then focused on the final menace, lining up the sights of the flashlight with Cheer Beaver's throttling head. "Hey, "sister?" Thanks again for the idea. Couldn't have done it without ya!"

*KLIK!*

The monstrous animatronic shrieked bloody murder, as she pulled the hair from her head in a fit of madness, leaving behind a rusty silver skull. The cheerleader fled hereafter, leaving Wendy to wonder if she had fried the robot's circuits with that last blast.

With the pizzeria gone quiet, the exhausted cashier collapsed into the wooden chair. She surveyed the damage caused with this last barrage: the baseball-sized hole in the front window, the beaver-head-sized crack in the one to her left, a countless number of dents in the back door. Luckily, the right pane was left intact, except for a handful of deep scratches.

 _"Not gonna lie; that was kinda intense. But what happens now? I mean, it can't get any worse, can it?"_

*BLAM!*

Wendy spun around to see that a furry fist had penetrated the steel-clad entry. It opened its hand, showing off a shiny palm and matching pointed nails.

"Back again?" She held a hand over the lower-centered switch. "Well, I can help ya out with that…"

*GRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!*

Before Wendy could hit the button, a pair of demonic growls brought her back to the left window. Hoo-Ha Owl and Cheer Beaver stood at each side of the window. But since their last appearance, both robots had lost the characteristics of the upper portions of their bodies. Gone were their cartoony fuzz and fake hair. Their true selves were revealed at last: cold, metallic exoskeletons consisting of smoothed-over skulls and straightened faces without individual detailing. Their capped teeth were forever frozen in a chilling sneer. Their radiant red eyes seem even brighter than ever with the lack of artificial skin.

Together, they pried the cracked screen; Hoo-Ha Owl used his lengthy arm-rods as a hoist of sorts, as Cheer Beaver slid her tiny fingers into the space, tearing away at the glass little by little.

Caught off-guard, Wendy promptly hit the console, unaware that she made a serious mistake until it was too late:

 _She had accidentally hit two buttons simultaneously_.

"Aw, nuts…"

*HISSSSSSSSSSSSS*

The lights outside the security office sprung to life for a split second before shorting out altogether. The world went dark besides the handful of emergency hazards. The monitors dimmed before blacking out. Ironically, the best source of light emanated from the eyes of the ravenous machines desperately clawing their way in, bathing the room with a gentle red glow.

 _"Well done, genius!"_ Wendy chided herself, fumbling with the flashlight's switch. _"The way you're_ _going, you'll end up as two leg stumps, too!"_ She flung the battery-enabled beam into the fiends' faces, driving them away from the damaged screen. It was a few tugs away from being ripped clean.

 _"No…problem. No problem at all…"_ Wendy hugged the flashlight close, praying for the console to fix itself. She forced a chuckle, which came out as a muffled whisper. _"I've got this…I've so got this."_

"AAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!"

The remnants of Cheer Beaver rose up from the front of the booth with a shrilled battle cry. Wendy jumped with an alarmed "GAH!" as the flashlight nearly flew out of her grasp. The automaton used her tiny hand to increase the fissure in the glass created from Cowpoke Frog's tongue.

 _I'm coming in…_ Cheer Beaver sang as she increased the size of the crack.

 _No, you're not…_ Wendy replied in an off-key tone as she jabbed the flashlight into the hole, driving the mad machine away from the gap and from sight. She knew this wasn't good. They were getting faster. _Too fast._

*BLAM!*

Big Beaver managed to put another slit in the door. The robot's red eye peeked through the new gap. Since she couldn't fully turn around, the high-schooler had to try aiming her flashlight from over her shoulder. The continuance of pounding behind her told Wendy she had missed her mark. There was no way to strike him with the flashlight's smaller shine.

Getting impatient, Wendy turned to the inactive controller, waiting for what felt like a lifetime for the buttons to pop back up. She gently patted on the side of the console with her fingertips, nervously tapping along to an unheard rhythm. "C'mon, buddy. Turn on. I need you to turn on…"

*BLAM!*

*BLAM!*

The crunching from the back of the room became louder. Wendy's fear shifted into anger as she smashed a tensed fist into the side of the controller. "I SAID WORK, DAMN YOU!"

*WWWWRRRRRRRRR!*

The regulator let out a wounded creak as the buttons briefly sputtered before dying out completely. A wave of steam exuded from the device, as Wendy held her hands over her face in shock.

 _"Oh, jeez! What did I do? What did I do?!"_ Within her panic came a moment of absolute clarify. _"You know exactly what you did; you threw a tantrum, just like Dad would – "_

*HOOOOOOOOOSH!*

Wendy whirled to her right, with flashlight at the ready. The window remained in great condition; something she found odd, considering how all of the other ends of the security room were barely standing.

 _"Now that I think about it, they haven't been messing with this side for some reason. But why?"_

*HOOOOOOOOOSH!*

A bright light poured in from the hallway, compelling Wendy to protect her eyes with her free hand. Even from narrowed sight, she certainly recognized the all-too-familiar source of the brilliance, eventually

 _"A portal?! But how? And why?"_ Wendy questioned. _"Wait. If that's here, doesn't that mean that the game is – "_

*SNIKT!*

The pressure was spontaneously released from her left ankle. With disbelief, Wendy moved her leg up from under the seat, her soiled brown boot now in sight. A smile stretched ear to ear as she shook the stiffness away. _"I'm…free? I'm free!"_

*BLAM!*

*SCRUNCH!*

Big Beaver had punched his way into the office, collapsing the top half of the steel door over the bottom with his tremendous strength. The duo of Cheer Beaver and Hoo-Ha Owl had reunited, working together to crumble the shattered left window like used gift wrap.

With the safe haven overrun, Wendy plotted an abrupt exit. She flipped the solid flashlight upside-down, preparing to use it to smash out the last window.

 _"That dude in the binder-report-thingie had the right idea, but wrong execution. Trying to crack a chair through the center of a window, especially a fancy one like this, was a big no-no. The best way to get it open is by knocking out one of the corners. Do that, and the rest drops like flies. Take it from a pro…"_

Hoo-Ha Owl and Cheer Beaver pushed against one another to get into the booth. Big Beaver kicked the fragments of the metal doors away, creating a cleared walkway for himself.

Wendy instead concentrated on the task before her, her palms clamming up, knowing she'd get one shot before the monsters would catch up with her. _"Well, here goes nothing!"_ She dashed up from the chair, only to be hitched in mid-flight by the right leg. Wendy stumbled to earth, nearly smacking her forehead on the desk's corner on the way down.

 _"What…the hell was that?!"_

She peered back, her mouth snaking into an O-shape. "No…"

Wendy's right foot was left cuffed to the bolted chair. For an unknown reason, the second shackle didn't disengage along with its matching twin. She wrenched and rattled the trapped limb with hopeful doubt, seeing that the resilient restraint matched her every movement.

"No…"

The ensnared adolescent went mad, tossing the arch of her freed boot into the closest chair leg over and over, pleading that her adrenaline burst would be enough to loosen the bolts fixing it to the ground.

"Noooooo!"

 _"Hahahahahahaha…"_

Wendy curbed her mud-stained bombardment as Cheer Beaver and Hoo-Ha Owl stood over her. Their laughter reverberated in both their voice boxes and the bowels of the fifteen-year-old's mind.

 _"She thought she won…"  
"She thought we'd let her go…"  
"How silly of her…"  
"How pathetic of her…"  
"Doesn't she know she's here forever?"  
"She's all ours forever…"  
_  
Wendy's eyes involuntarily watered, as she forcibly swallowed her emotions. _She hated this_ ; being left so vulnerable and with things out of her control; that all of these places and beings – _the whole crummy universe_ – incessantly used her boy, perhaps Wendy's favorite part of such a lousy summer, as a provisional carrot to get her to jump flaming hoops to reach him, which alone further stirred the already-complicated feelings in her psyche.

Worst of all; to be reduced back to this state: the same sniveling, doubting pre-teen that she left as a memento in her wallet had Wendy see red. Her quivering wheezes transformed into deep rasps.

"Don't you…laugh at me…"

Her firm murmur was drowned out by the robots' mocking cackling as it grew even louder.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

With a bout of pure rage, Wendy leapt up from the tile, her right knee forced into a bend; her breathing almost short howls. She snarled between pants. "I SAID – "

The auburn-haired fighter shoved the flashlight into Hoo-Ha Owl's eyes, as the machine struggled to guard himself with his rod-arms. Despite the uncomfortable hold over her, Wendy hopped upwards, using the table as support, and punted the stunned machine out of the room, landing on the same foot with a gymnast's grace.

"- DON'T YOU – "

Before Cheer Beaver could respond, Wendy swatted the side of her head with her flashlight, causing the animatronic to topple to her knees. The incensed teen clenched the molting cranium against the desk with her left hand, smashing down with the beacon again and again until she could see its lambent center.

"– LAUGH AT ME!"

With her bloodlust satiated, Wendy released the dented dome, letting the body fall to the ground. It endlessly twitched, its numerous joints lighting up like blinking Christmas lights. Wendy looked at her instrument of destruction. The lens of the flashlight was entirely shattered. The switch controlling the light no longer had any effect.

 _"Well, that happened. But hey, least I finally got the joke about the one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest! Still, I can use this guy as a club…"_

*GRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!*

Big Beaver charged at Wendy, with arms raised and claws exposed. As he slashed downward, she bounced onto the desk, her right calf kept taut by the faulty foot hold. The vicious android shredded through the wooden chair, slitting the rough timber into half. Wendy's sights widened as the beaver took the left part of the seat with him, as it had become entrenched in his nails. After a few shakes, he rocked the room with another thunderous roar, spreading his strapping arms and splitting the chair into further pieces.

With some lingering wood in its hand, Big Beaver whipped the bundle directly at Wendy on the table. Without thinking, she shifted to the right, missing the projectile as it splintered upon impact. It was then that realized what just transpired:

In his rampage, Big Beaver had ripped most of the chair's bolts from the ground. With a mere half of the seat remaining, only the upper right leg was anchored to the floor, allowing Wendy to drag it about with her foot.

 _"Hey, I can swivel this thing now!"_ A devious plan formed in her thoughts. _"I bet he's dumb enough to…"_

"Hey, Fuzzy Wuzzy!" Wendy called out, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Was that the best you can do?"

The beaver's eyes shone a brighter red as Wendy challenged him further. He paused with a sense of confusion.

"Yeah, you!" She pointed at him. "My grandma hits harder than that! What's the matter, big boy? Are you being shy for me? I mean, it's not like I'm going anywhere, right? Whatcha' waiting for? Hit me, you wussy!"

Wendy could hear the gears within Big Beaver wind up as its upper body lurched back, his mighty arm held over his stripped head. She ducked down closer to the chair's right side. _"With another swipe, I'm sure that he'll take the rest of this – "_

*SNAP!*

"Wha?!" Something wrapped around Wendy's left arm, painfully arching her back into the desk's end. A grayish line stemming from the opened vent held her up, hauling her to a standing position. The redhead tore against it with her fingernails, its gluey texture was all too familiar.

"Stupid – frog!" Wendy squirmed, unable to see the last animatronic's whereabouts. "Lemme go!" She stopped yelling as Big Beaver swung with claws unleashed. With a burst of strength, Wendy threw her shoulder forward, bringing the sticky tongue into range of the deadly blow…

*SNIP!*

The synthetic organ was severed, the leavings snapped back into the vent as a shower of slick oil poured from the opened wound, soaking Wendy with the black ooze.

 _"Uh! Ay outh! Hit ot in ay outh!"_

As she took a spit take, Big Beaver dug at Wendy again, as she skipped back, the shackle's grip loosened, but still felt. She glided down from the table, avoiding another powerful blow, not wanting to chance breaking the flashlight fully..

Seeking protection behind the ruined piece of furniture, Wendy awaited the next bash, hopefully the one that would predictably set her free. But it never came. Instead, Big Beaver's subtle growling drew nearer. The chair began to vibrate aggressively, much to Wendy's surprise.

"What is he – "

Big Beaver seized the handcrafted seat between his gigantic paws, cleaving it from its final seal. He heaved up past his shoulders, bringing the attached Wendy along for the ride.

"WAAA!"

Held upside-down by her leg, the plaid-donning ginger soon met the freakish robot face-to-face. Left helpless, Wendy flashed a sheepish beam and offered an embarrassed wave.

"Um, heh-heh. Hiya doing there…?"

Big Beaver bellowed, blowing her messy hair back. His unearthed components clicked once more as he winded up for the pitch, the bot's mid-section tilting to the right before lurching the other way at high-speed.

"Wait! Can't we talk about - ? Oh, no! No! AAAH!"

*SMASH!*

The beaver chucked the broken chair against the wall at full impact. Thankfully, Wendy curled up to soften the blow to her thinning body. She landed on her hip, bruising her side due to the hardened two-toned tile.

Wendy held her head to keep the room from spinning. She slowly stood back up, her joints torn and beaten from being lugged around like a rag-doll. Her legs were still numbed from being locked in such a constricted situation for a long period of time. Wendy caught herself from falling after the first few steps, only feeling the rubber soles of her waders pressing off the oil-slicked floor.

She paused in mid-step, not realizing what occurred. Wendy glanced down at her right leg, the breath taken from her chest. _At long last, she had been freed_. While the cuff stayed locked on her ankle, its titanium rod was separated from the destroyed seat, except for a few chunks of wood that trailed along, akin to a prisoner's ball and chain.

Big Beaver progressively turned to meet his quarry, his soulless façade displaying any indifference to Wendy's liberated state. She cracked her neck and knuckles, the sensation returning to her bottom half.

"Hey, man." Wendy said with earnest. "Normally, I'd thank someone for getting me out a jam like that, but then again…" She soared up, taking hold of the light fixture in the ceiling. "I really hate your friggin' guts!"

She veered forward, planting both feet into the robot's face with a *POW!* Big Beaver fell back into the console, his head thrown through the security glass. Wendy watched as the gargantuan mascot thrashed to pull itself out of the crushed sheet, its arms pounding madly while its legs flailed away in vain against the ground.

Wendy fell back to earth, the fastened bar etching the tile as she moved. _"Neat. It makes me think of that cute cartoon bear that's always getting stuck in a honey pot."_ She saw that the office's door was left unguarded. _"About time I could take the easy way out…"_ Wendy hurried towards the exit, grinding to a stop as a giant silhouette covered the hallway.

"HOO! HOO!"

 _"Damn owl!"_ She backpedaled into the middle of the room. _"Guess it's back to the window!"_

Wendy ran to the right window, hurling the bottom of the flashlight into the lower left corner. As she predicted, the panel burst into pieces, with shards of glass landing on both ends of the ledge. The portal was rooted in the flooring just outside of the office. Wendy cleared the rest of the glass with the flashlight's edge to ensure that she wouldn't get stabbed by any leftover pieces. The agile rebel backed away, readying herself for what would come next.

"HOO! HOO!"

Hoo-Ha Owl stood in the doorway. Wendy whirled on her heels, flinging the flashlight at the adversary's dome with one smoothed motion. She needed enough time to make it out unscathed.

*BONK!*

The busted bird bot toppled into the door frame, tumbling out of the room and back into the hall. Wendy double-checked Big Beaver, seeing that he hadn't gotten loose from the front window. Cheer Beaver wasn't twitching anymore. Cowpoke Frog was nowhere to be found.

She placed two fingers against her temple and gave her fallen foes a salute. "So long, suckers! It's been real!" Wendy took off towards the empty window, leading off the ground with her right foot. She dove through the hole, as if from a diving board, her hands together as she headed for the dimensional gateway…

…until she was jerked to a stop inches before her goal.

"Ugh!" Wendy didn't know what was wrong. She was hung upside-down in mid-flight, the portal's warmth splashing on her freckled brow. Confused, Wendy turned her head, her mouth dropping in terror.

The metal rod attached to the shackle on her right foot was now trapped between the windowsill and the office's wall. Wendy tussled about, striking away with her freed leg to get dislodged from the cumbersome slant.

*KLUNK!*

*KLUNK!*

 _"Not again!"_ She complained, remembering a similar quandary during her last battle with the Blind Eye Society. _"Of! All! The! Lousy! Stinking - !"_

*SCRAPE!*

*SCRAPE!*

*SCRAPE!*

Wendy stopped scuffling as a weird sound rose from around the left corner. A new pair of metal hands clawed at the tile, leaving two parallel streaks as they dragged something behind. It was one of the mechanical rats from the barn-stage setup. With its thin purple legs too weak to support its barrel-covered body, the robotic rodent was forced to tow itself across the floor with its arms.

 _"Where'd that guy come from? I'd almost forgot all about 'em…"_

Spotting Wendy caught in mid-jump, the vermin's empty eyes turned a bright red. Its beige tongue licked across its prolonged mouth, wetting its smoky fur and lapping across its bucked teeth. The rat moved even faster, eager to reach such an easy meal.

 _"Seriously?"_ Wendy switched tactics, pushing off the floor with the bottoms of her hands, intending to elevate her scraggy body up and over the barrier. _"Isn't there anything here that doesn't want to eat me?!"_

*SCRAPE!*

*SCRAPE!*

*SCRAPE!*

The barreled rat was halfway down the hall. The motors hidden in its mouth sounded like heavy breathing. Wendy went back and forth, kicking her feet and bending her arms; doing anything she could free herself.

All of a sudden, something tugged at the back of her blue pant leg. Wendy was being hoisted up from dangling over the window's landing and into the air, well out of the rat's reach. Just past her shoulder, Big Beaver held the shackle's rod in his paw, his cracked skull buzzed and clicked as it spoke:

"Mmm…dinner time…"

"'Fraid not." Wendy delivered a well-placed left boot into the beaver's nose. "But thanks again for the assist!"

As the dazed bionic released her ankle, Wendy was dropped head over feet out of the window and into the portal. As the warming light welcomed her, she screamed aloud as the freefall appeared to go on forever…

* * *

 _"Argh!"_

 _Wendy crashed precisely on top of the healing wound that she earned during her battle with the vampire lord. She winced while steadily moving to a sitting stance, releasing another sigh, "Why?"_

 _The lumberjane was alone in a darkened area. The sole source of light stemmed several yards away, from a single spotlight concealed in the sky well beyond her sight._

 _"That's…kinda off," Wendy thought. "But there isn't anywhere else to go. So, might as well…"_

 _She made it back to her feet, the hollow sounds of her footsteps told her that a large amount of open room was blanketed by the overwhelming darkness. The girl didn't feel the leftover restraint on her ankle, nor sense its rod digging into the earth, enabling her to move without any sort of restriction._

 _"What's that?"_

 _Wendy stopped halfway to the light, noticing something new in it, her green eyes now adjusted to the brightness. A gigantic bird cage was set in the middle of the limelight, as like a treasured prize on display for the world to see. The curved dome dangled from the ceiling by a thick chain, keeping it off the ground. The shade prevented Wendy from locating the link's ending. A large, cartoonish padlock kept the iron bars sealed, ensuring whatever was inside was to stay there._

 _But once Wendy saw what was on the cage's flattened bottom, she couldn't look away. A small figure had curled itself into a ball, its white-capped, brown-haired head resting on raised knees. Familiar pasty-looking noodle arms wrapped around the stubby legs for warmth. Black sneakered feet gently rocked the orange and blue form to the beat of an unheard rhythm._

 _"It can't be…" Wendy wanted to run to the cage, yelling and celebrating with victory the whole way, but she was forced to control her feelings. "Wait. What if it's another trick? What if they're waiting for me to dart for that thing, and when I get there – BOOM! – land mine, or something like that?"_

 _Despite her uncertainty, the teenager was unable to turn away from the cage. "But what if it is him?" She lightly slapped her cheeks to regain composure. "Okay. Gotta play this smart. Take it slow. Get a closer look, and see if anything's wonky..."_

 _Wendy took deliberate, careful steps towards the cage, adopting the same walk as the rare occasions when she had to sport high heels. "Heel, toe…" She chanted quietly. "Heel, toe…"_

 _The area in front of the cage didn't react to her arrival. "No explosions or snare traps or any goofy crap like that. Good, good…" Wendy stood silently, watching the detainee inside. Unaware of her presence, it softly trembled with a nasally tone before letting out a kitten-sounding sneeze._

 _Wendy's vigilance instantly flowed away, as she had her answer. She gave off a deep, relieved smile, her emerald eyes moistened, as the weight of the world was finally taken from her shoulders._

 _At long last, she had found her boy._

 _Wendy reached past the bars of the cage and rubbed his shoulder. "Dipper…"_

 _To her surprise, her partner in crime shrugged her away, not even bothering to lift his head from his legs. "Can't you just leave me alone? Haven't you done enough to me already?"_

 _"Dipper…" Wendy's words came out as a fragmented laugh, from both disbelief and heartbreak. "It's me. It's Wendy…"_

 _After a few moments, two soft brown eyes peeped up from over his knees. They focused on the new visitor, examining her every detail, searching for anything unusual._

 _"…Wendy?"_

 _"Yeah, dork, it's really me. Who else would it be?" She folded her arms and tried to lighten the mood. "I swear, kiddo; I leave you alone for five minutes, and here you are as someone's pet parakeet. Don't cha know by now if you wanted to get yourself mixed up in a crazy adventure, all you'd had to do is ask me?"_

 _Dipper flew to the front of the cage and into her awaiting hands as he wailed, "Oh, Wendy! It is you!" The bars kept the reunited friends from fully embracing. Wendy affectionately massaged the back of his tangled head as he barely clutched her flannelled waist, his sobs wetting the front of her shirt and the edge of the cage. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know! I didn't know it was you! I saw – I saw – and the guy with the giant scissors, and the mask, and I thought you were – "_

 _"Shh…" Wendy calmed him, ensuring that he didn't see her own tears. "It's alright, buddy. I gotcha now." Wiping away her eyes, she took his hands in hers and knelt to his level. "Now, let's – WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"_

 _Something was wrong with Dipper's body. His left side of his face was the same baby-fat chubby cheek Wendy had become accustomed to over the last three months. The right side had grown coarse and jagged. His eye, while brown, turned a milky shade, like it was fake. Part of his nose was now flat and squared, while the other half remained short and stumpy. Even his namesake birthmark had been pixelated._

 _Wendy gazed down at the hand in her palm. All of Dipper's right fingers were flesh-colored sticks that barely could bend at the joint. The skin was rough to the touch, reminding her of a prick from a cactus's needles._

 _Seeing his crush's horrified reaction, Dipper yanked his hand away, returning to his balled-up state. "Don't look at me! Please!"_

 _Wendy apologized, "Dude, wait! I didn't mean to react like that. Sorry if I freaked you out. I wasn't expecting – Dipper, what happened to you?"_

 _He slowly came back around. "She tricked me into eating this stuff. It's taking over my body, Wendy. It's like what happened to Gravity Falls when the gaming dimension invaded. She thinks it'll keep me here for good!"_

 _"She? Who's "she?""_

 _Dipper grabbed the bars of the cage for support. "You mean you haven't met…" His expression changed from sorrowful to serious. "Wendy, you have to get out of here. Right now!"_

 _"Dipper, I'm not leaving – "_

 _"Wendy, you don't understand…"_

 _"Dipper…"_

 _"If she finds you here, she'll…"_

 _"Dipper…"_

 _"She'll hurt you, Wendy! And I don't want to see you – "_

 _"Dipper, STOP!" Wendy purposely held up the transformed side of his face, minding the painful pang in doing so. "You need to listen to me, okay? I just went through hell and high water to find you. There is zero chance that I'm going anywhere without you, and there's no one in our world or this one that's gonna change that. Do you understand?"_

 _He nodded. "But Wendy, I – I "He moved his hands down his body. "I don't know how to fix this!"_

 _"We will fix it, Dip. I promise we will. But first things first." She moved to the heavy lock on the cage's doors. Wendy removed a spare bobby-pin from her hair and created another lock pick. "We have to get you out of this thing pronto."_

 _"…okay…" Dipper served as a lookout as Wendy went to work on the padlock. "Just be careful…"_

 _Wendy swore under her breath as she failed to get the lock's mechanism to turn over. "Ah, ya cheap son-of-a-"_

 _Dipper took his eyes off his main squeeze and back into the darkness. A sudden glimmer in the gloom made him take notice. "Wendy?"_

 _"Almost…there, buddy."_

 _The shine came closer at an alarming speed, like a speeding rocket. He reached through the cage's bars and pushed his not-so-secret love onto her rear end, out of harm's way. "WENDY! LOOK OUT!"_

 _"Dipper, what – "_

 _*CLANG!*_

 _Wendy froze as an unsheathed blade was set under her chin. She followed the sword upwards, as it led back to a shadowy figure standing over her._

 _"Well, well, well. And here I thought you weren't going to make it. Call me impressed."_

 _Wendy didn't know what to say, as the face of the villain that caused the entire catastrophe was none other than her very own…_


	9. Chapter 9

_"Back against the wall and odds._  
 _With the strength of a will and a cause._  
 _Your pursuits are called outstanding._  
 _You're emotionally complex.  
Against the grain of dystopic claims,_  
 _not the thoughts your actions entertain._  
 _And you have proved to be,  
a real human being, and a real hero…"_

"A Real Hero," by College & Electric Youth.

 **Chapter 9 – The Battle Within**

 _"You…"_

Wendy ignored the dangerous tip aimed at her throat, focusing on the soulless eyes glaring down at her. The doppelganger flashed a devious smirk; the very same one Wendy had seen millions of times in the mirror.

"Wendy! Wendy!" Dipper shouted from the cage, his hands wrapped tightly around the bars. "It's the – "

"My clone…" The cashier finished his sentence. "You're the same one that jerkface purple-Emperor-guy made to mess with our heads last month, aren't you?"

The double nodded, "Very good! And you figured it out all by yourself! So, so proud of you! I see some of the little squirt's detective skills are rubbing off on you." She turned to Dipper, "It's funny, ain't it? Here, everyone thought dumb-dumb would be a bad influence on you, and – "

Wendy saw her opening. She kicked up at the clone's wrist, sending the sword soaring into the air. The redhead leapt to her feet and reached up past the stunned enemy, catching the sword's hilt as it fell back to earth. She directed her newly acquired weapon at her gray scaled replica.

"What was that again?"

Instead of showing any signs of surprise or fear, the Wendy copy laughed aloud, clapping her hands together in an annoyingly noise fashion. "Bravo! Hell, I'm shocked I didn't see that one coming! But still…" She stopped applauding, throwing her hands outwards. With a small strain, the clone's right arm began to liquefy, producing something long and narrow. It quickly hardened, leaving another sword in her grasp.

"…there's more where that came from…"

Wendy grumbled, placing both hands around her sword handle. The dual images circled around endlessly, each studying the other for any sign of weakness; any hint that would allow an advantage over the other.

"Hmm…lemme guess…" The double said, her native cockiness never slighting in the least. "Looking me over from head to toe, trying to figure out in that peanut-brain of yours the best way to try to take me out. Am I right?"

Wendy didn't respond, choosing to keep a silent cool among her. The only answer given was the steely glare given by the battle-ready lumberjack princess.

"Ooooh, no! Not those green daggers!" The mirror image mocked. "That intimating, lame-ass look that you stole from Dad and made your own – "

"He's not your dad! He's – "

"Now, don't be rude; let me finish. That look you use when you want to scare our brothers or get the bullies at school to back off – "

"I told you! They're not your – "

"Or with that old geezer at work or his weird handyman. Poor Dipper isn't even excluded, is he? That's your way of cluing him in when he crosses one of your "invisible lines," isn't it?" She giggled. "But not me, Wendy. You know why? _'Cause I am you._ And the truth? It's just a lousy stare – the sign of a scared, lazy girl that uses her height and clout to get her way, but behind it all, doesn't have the muscle or will-power to back up her fat mouth!"

"Enough already!" Wendy was beyond irritated. "How are you here? Dipper destroyed you. We mopped the floor with both of you clones!"

The fake scoffed. "You wish, Red. But you got one thing right. When my boy wore that spiffy blue armor – "

"He's not _your_ boy!"

"Again with the pettiness. Quit being so touchy! Like I was saying, when he blasted me with that bubble-acid attack; whatever it was, _it changed me_. It didn't kill me, per se. It washed me away from the real world like an oil stain off the ground…"

Suddenly, the clone's face started to melt. Her lengthy, raven-colored hair became a sloppy, matted mess. Her brow drooped together, colliding like a caveman's forehead. Her dimpled cheeks oozed freely, running off her bones, and into the dark.

"Oh, yuck!" Wendy finally released her stance at the sight of the disgusting display.

"My bad! My bad!" The ringer used her free hand to push her discharging features up as if playing with wet putty, resetting her face into its previous state. "Just – Just give me a sec, here…"

Wendy would have rushed in for an attack, if not for the extreme nausea that formed in her stomach.

Dipper covered his eyes, "Not again! It keeps getting worse each time! It's so gross -"

*CLANG!*

The Wendy clone slammed her blade against the bars of his cage. "Manners! And aren't we one to talk about looks, eh, Babyfat? But then again, you won't have to worry about that soon enough."

After a few more swipes, the double's complexion had restored to perfection. "There! That's so much better. Where was I again? Oh, yeah! That's right! Like I said, while I was seriously messed up, that's nothing compared to what you did…"

Wendy was confused by the accusation. "I don't get – what are you talking about?"

The duplicate grew enraged. "Don't you dare play dumb with me! You know exactly what you did to _him!_ And you're supposed to be one of the good guys?! Puh-lease!"

It took Wendy a moment to catch on, "Hold up. You're talking about the fake D – "

" _My Dipper._ " The clone corrected. "Let me ask you a question, Wendy: what do you happens to a bad guy from a video game when you beat 'em?"

Wendy shrugged.

"Simple. They go back to their home world in the gaming universe, and wait for the next hero, real or not, to take a crack at them. So while the Emperor of Darkness was chased to his 8-bit home world, licking his wounds all the way, what happens to someone that _isn't_ from a video game; something that it is created on the spot, based upon a worthless sack of flesh like yourself?"

She opened her arms, "THIS is what happens! They are sentenced to spend an eternity in the void between gaming worlds, left without a place that they can call home – a place where they truly belong. But I'm not gonna lie to you. The nothingness definitely beats the abuse and forced servitude. I take it you'd agree?"

"Sure, I'll give you that. Being a retail slave sucks, yet alone a literal one…"

"Finally, we agree on something!" Her expression softened as a black ink formed around her eyes. "And if we can keep the honesty train going, I figured that the purple jerk's plan was bound to fail. I didn't– can you imagine how I felt when I was sent back, only to realize that I came back _all alone?_ "

Wendy was at a loss for words. The image of the green-armored Dipper-double exploding into a jillion pieces on Gravity Falls' Main Street replayed over and over in her mind.

"I – I-"

"That's all you can say?!" The distraught facsimile screamed, as black streaks ran down her gray freckled cheeks. "You didn't even leave me _his ashes_!"

"But – he was trying to kill me – _to kill us_!" Wendy pointed to Dipper. "A total homicidal maniac! And I didn't do it! He blew himself up with that weird-pogo-stick he had and – "

"You lie!" The clone sobbed harder. "And it's called survival, Wendy! Kill or be killed! We didn't have a choice in the matter. _You did!_ You made sure to tear the poor kid apart piece by piece, didn't you?"

"No, I – "

"DIDN'T YOU?!"

Wendy stopped attempting to defend herself from her evil twin's indictments. She knew there were no words that would be able to still her troubled psyche.

The raving duplicate sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her free hand. With her voice calming down, she went on, "And – And that's when it hit me: there was a way to make things right again. There was a way to give you a taste of your own medicine and ensure I didn't have to waste away here all by myself…"

Dipper interrupted, his hands quaking over the cage's bars. "Wendy! I thought it was you in the TV – that something took you away again! She's totally insane! You – "

*CLANG!*

The clone whacked the bars with her sword again, forcing Dipper away from the edge for safety. "Shh! The big kids are talking…"

"Dipper!" Wendy stepped forward with sword at the ready. "Don't you treat him like that!"

"The way I see it," the menace explained. "He's not your problem anymore. I mean, it's only fair. _You killed my Dipper, so I get to keep yours!"_

"That's not happening." Wendy held her rapier even more firmly. "Whatever sick game you're playing ends here and now! I'm going to slice you into ribbons and bring Dip home, just in time to catch one last Ducktective marathon!"

"Are you now?" The devious clone went closer to Dipper's cage. "You see that, kiddo? That's another classic Corduroy intimidation tactic – making threats to scare the enemy into submission; _little, petty, idle threats_. Do I look frightened? You sure do!"

Wendy ignored the claim, her knuckles turning white over the sword's grip.

"But we already know you're not going to give up without a fight, so let's get this over with…"

"Fine by me!"

The false Wendy swirled her left hand as something curved and ridged came forth. She flung the object at the baffled clerk, who caught it against her plaid chest. It was a sturdy black shield. The front was framed with a reflective surface. Two roomy straps were attached to the dried backing.

"What's this?"

"Call it me leveling the playing field." A matching shield appeared in the copy's left hand. "I have the home-team advantage, so might as well give you a leg up."

"You should be more worried about yourself!" Wendy dared, sliding the shield's bands over her wrist.

"Oh, I'm a-okay. Believe you me. I just don't wanna hear your sorry-ass whining after the fact. We're talking slaughter rule here. _Literally_. I want you to give me everything you have and more…"

"Whatever you say, you loopy bit – "

*CLANG!*

The two femme fatales dashed at one another with swords raised. Their collisions created multi-colored sparks that filled the looming gloom with flashes of light. Dipper watched on helplessly as his not-so-secret crush battled tooth and nail to not only save herself, but to free him from captivity. He wondered of how other boys dreamt of having two girls fight over them, finding the experience to be a living nightmare.

*CLANG!*

*CLANG!*

Wendy hoisted her shield as the clone hollered, throwing her blade down as hard as she could. The lumberjane's boots skid across the floor, as she went to parry, jabbing her sword forward. The clone skipped back with a jeer. "Missed me! What's the matter? Too fast for ya?"

"You wish!"

But Wendy knew the truth. She remembered her first encounter with the pixel-made nuisance at Gravity Falls Lake. Her punches had no effect. The double knew all her tricks of the trade; nearly her every thought and hidden secret. Wendy's escape had come from a lucky cheap shot – an once in a lifetime chance that she'd hoped to never confront again.

Wendy waited for the double to swing again. The lunge left her wide open. The ginger darted forward, lowering herself behind the shield to get closer. She slashed through the air wildly, making contact with the phony's shield. The blow caught her off-guard, forcing her arms open.

 _"Now's my chance!"_ Wendy pulled back and threw a mud-stained foot into the clone's bread basket. Before it could make contact, a hole opened within her chest, allowing the boot to pass through. It closed immediately afterwards on her ankle, encasing around it like quick-drying cement, leaving Wendy stranded standing on one leg.

"What kinda crap is this?!" She bounced to keep balance, her entrapped ped squirming side to side for freedom. "Get off me!"

"For starters," the copy corrected. "You're the one _inside_ of me. And second…" She swept the back of Wendy's left heel, knocking the high-schooler off her feet and onto her back.

"Ugh!" Wendy groaned as she landed on top of her opened wound. She looked up to see her double with sword held over her head. The villain beamed, her eyes shining with an unrivaled craziness.

"…you do whatever it takes to win. Screw honor. Screw integrity. When the opportunity arrives, you cut your opponent off at the knees if needed. If anyone knows this, it's you."

Wendy cocked her head, noticing the clone's legs were left unprotected. With one smooth swoop, she ran her sword through both shins.

"Thanks for the advice…"

"AHH!" The fake cried out in anguish as her severed thighs collapsed on top another, joining together with a squishy SPLAT! As she dropped, her hold on Wendy's ankle weakened. Wendy tugged her leg through, rolling backwards to safety on one knee.

"That was cute…" The double congratulated with a gurgle in her voice. "Real cute!" The spilled slime at her boots boiled and churned. As if it had a mind of its own, the puddle slithered back up her black-jeaned leg, returning to the mass and restoring her natural height. "But this isn't the Lumberjack Games, Wendy. You can't half-ass your way here and expect to win!"

"Who says I am?" Wendy stood back up. "Believe me, you're going to get everything I have and more!"

The replica crossed her arms, clanging her sword and shield together. "Glad to hear it, sister!" She charged at Wendy with blade at her side. "RAAAAH!"

"RAAAH!" The real Wendy joined suit, matching her step by step. Their swords collided with another *CLANG!*, the blows illuminating the dimmed area.

"Ooh! Ah! Yikes!" Dipper groaned from his confinement, holding his hands over his eyes, as his nerves were getting the best of him. He peeked out from between his fingers, unable to go without seeing how his main squeeze was doing. "Get 'er! Get 'er! Aw, you almost had her there. Quick! Jab! Duck! Look out, she's gonna – "

"DIPPER!" Both Wendys paused to chastise him simultaneously. "Will ya knock it off?! That's super annoying!"

"Eep! Sorry!"

The dueling lumberjanes returned to battle as Wendy jammed her shield into the clone's sternum, catching her off-guard. As she went to finish her off, the counterfeit dug back and delivered a spinning roundhouse kick across the ginger's face.

"ACK!" The world went black as Wendy grabbed her nose out of instinct. She glimpsed down to see droplets of blood smeared along the palm of her shield-arm.

The clone chortled, already recovered. "HA! I drew first blood! Are we losing our touch?"

"You wish…" Wendy wiped her nose. "I've still got a ton of tricks up my sleeve!"

"Pfft!" The fake Wendy gave her a raspberry. "Haven't we been over this, champ? I AM YOU!" She lunged down with her sword, as Wendy slashed it with hers sideways. "There isn't a single thing you can hide from me! I know every worthless thing there is to know about your sorry keister!"

Wendy strained her rapier upwards. "You don't know a damn thing about me!"

"Oh, but I do…" The clone leaned in closer. "And above all things, I know you're scared."

"What? You think I'm afraid of you?! "

"Well, of course you are. But I wasn't talking about that. No. _You were scared before all of this_ ; before I took what was rightfully mine. It's what brought you here, isn't it? Summer's ending, and all the things you hate are coming back for another round: mountains of useless homework, doing tons of annoying chores around in the house in the freezing cold, having to pass by the cool kids in the hallways and listen to their whispers as your friends act like they don't see you coming…"

"What's your point?"

"The point is that you're losing control again, Wendy. It's all slowly slipping out of your grasp. You've always hated this feeling; especially since Mom – "

Wendy used her sudden rage to rise up from the stalemate. "Don't you dare bring _her_ into this!"

"But nothing worries you more than that boy over there…"

The redhead peered over her clone's shoulder, spotting Dipper at the cage in the far distance, thankfully out of hearing range. He waited anxiously on his knees, his fingers clutching the bars, for the violent battle to conclude.

"He's something quite special, but then, you already knew that. You've known that since he broke into the convenience store for you. Baby did his first misdemeanor just to impress you. That's got to count for something!"

"Will…you…just…shut…up…already?!"

"But it's different with him. It's not like how you would lamely swoon whenever that pathetic big-nosed Goth would sing to you…"

"You wish someone would do that for you!" Wendy challenged through grit teeth.

"Like I'd want to be a total tool like you!" The clone pushed back. "No, Dipper's more…would _precious_ be too strong of a word? You'd never have the heart to push him away, yet you're too much of a coward to let him get close. After all, we both know what happens when boys let too close to you…"

"Gonna…enjoy…closing…that…big…yap…of…yours!"

The double gave a Cheshire grin, seeing her words take their toll on the tiring heroine. She whispered into Wendy's ear. "But I'll give you this: I believe what you told him out in the clearing. If that boy was to up and vanish from your life, you'd be completely devastated. After all, who wouldn't love to have their own personal cheerleader; someone who supports you no matter what, and adores your every flaw, and yet, doesn't blow smoke or isn't frightened to tell you if something's wrong…"

With the imitation preoccupied, Wendy crashed her shoulder forward, as the clone instantly countered, almost like she had been expecting it, slamming the teen back down.

"Even during the end of the world, when that kid was pouring his soul out to you, you had to play it "cool." You couldn't show the slightest bit of excitement when he told you that his uncle wanted him to stay in Gravity Falls."

"You think I wasn't happy to hear that?!" Wendy finally admitted, knowing that her caged pal couldn't hear their conversation. "But it wasn't about me! He was worried about losing his sister. I did everything I could to pick Dipper up from the dumps and – "

"Abandoned him at the first possible distraction! Like really, Wendy? Driving a monster truck with your moron friends through your lousy high school? _That_ was your greatest dream? The one worth leaving him when he needed you most?"

"Well…part of that was that Bill guy messing with our heads and – "

"Even your great good-bye gift – the thing that gave me access to your very home – was a poor last-ditch effort that you scrambled for at the eleventh hour!"

"What are you talking about? Dip loves that stuff! If you knew him the way you say you do – "

"Still, as lousy as that was, I'll admit it beat your original idea. I can't believe you were going to give your crappy old hat…"

"Hey! That was a great idea!"

"Enough of your excuses!" The fake Wendy yelled, making the clerk's ears ring. "That's your problem right there! _You're nothing but a lie!_ You don't take responsibility for anything! You don't deserve to have someone as great as him in your life!"

"Maybe I don't…" Wendy met her rival eye-to-eye. "But I'm not the one holding Dipper prisoner like some kind of animal, am I?"

"I – I – I…" For the first time, the plucky high-schooler left her evil twin speechless. "I had to do that. You have the poor guy totally brainwashed. But with a little time and some TLC, I'll make him see _. I'm the real Wendy._ The Wendy he's always dreamed of. The best friend he's never had… "

The clone saw that Wendy was staring at her not with contempt or envy, but confusion. "What in the living hell are you gawking at?!"

"Oh, um…" Wendy's freckled cheeks went flushed. She broke eye-contact. "Geez. I – This is probably a real bad time, but – "

"Spit it out already!"

"Your face is, um, leaking again…"

"Oh, man!" The replica promptly recoiled with dread, using her available fingers to push back her false skin in a frantic attempt to repair her good looks. "Did I – did I get it all?"

"SIKE!"

Wendy rushed into the clone shield-first, lifting her off the ground and sending her flying into the air. She landed on her back beneath Dipper's cage. Above her, the imprisoned thirteen-year-old cheered loudly for his rescuer, "All right! Way to go, Wendy!"

"Do you hear that?" The triumphant fighter waved her weapon in Dipper's direction. "That kid knows who the real deal is. And there's nothing you can ever do to change that!"

"Yeah!" Dipper chimed in as well.

To the partners-in-crime's surprise, the rogue let out an elongate, awkward laugh that echoed across the chambers. As it went on, the forced mirth transformed into squeals of agony. Wendy and Dipper stole a concerned look, unsure of what was going to happen next.

The doppelganger staggered back as her voice finally calmed. "You – What? Do you think this is over with because I got knocked on my butt? Oh, no, no, no, kiddies. This is soooooooo far from being over. But…" She turned towards Wendy. "At least I know we can stop playing fair…"

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, leaving behind two dark-grey holes. Layers of the black ooze trailed down from her body and unto the floor. The living goop wormed at lightning speed, spreading out beneath Wendy's feet.

"What – "Wendy looked all around her. "What is this stuff?!"

Dipper shouted to the top of his lungs. "Wendy! Wendy! Get away! Get away from there, please! Before it's too -"

*SNAP!*

Before Wendy could react, a thin, yet powerful tentacle shot out of the mess and snatched Wendy's right wrist, pulling her sword-hand behind her back. "Hey! Let go!"

*SNAP!*

Another tendril came out from the left side of the blob, seizing her other arm and hoisting it downward, leaving her unable to defend herself with the shield.

"No!" Dipper shook the bars of the cage. "Don't do this!"

The clone spun towards the alarmed detective and flashed a devious toothy grin before returning her attention to Wendy.

*SNAP!*

*SNAP!*

Two more sticky appendages snagged Wendy's ankles and reeled her to the ground. She tried to press off with her boots, but the slime had already locked her into a kneeling position.

"Ugh! Grugh!" Wendy struggled to break free of the black strands, only to feel them tightened their hold over her limbs. The clone casually walked to the entrapped teen, the onyx sludge still attached to her body automatically adjusted itself based on her movements. The stream seemed to grow thicker as she came closer.

"Poor Wendy…" The menace bent down to her prey's level. "Poor, stupid, arrogant Wendy. Did you really see this playing out any differently?" The clone reached out for Wendy, prompting the captive to twist her head away. Annoyed, the duplication clutched Wendy's chin in her hand, forcing her to look into her black eyes. "Still, you can't say I didn't give you a chance. No one told you to stick your stubby little nose into my business. I gave you every chance to walk away – "

"You know that…" Wendy tensed in her restraints. "…I'd never leave him behind…"

"No matter what I threw at you, you kept coming again and again. Every time I'd try to brush you off – "

"Brush me off? Twenty minutes ago, you had me chained up to a chair as mechanical beavers sang songs about eating my face! Don't think I didn't see you behind the glass!"

"Hold on!" Dipper spoke up. "Who had who singing about eating the what now?"

"Long story." The replica cut off. "But the point is that you couldn't take a hint. And now, we have to do things the hard way." She drew her sword back. "So long, Wendy. I'd be fibbing if I said this wasn't fun…"

Left exposed and defenseless, Wendy closed her eyes as the blade came crashing down…

"WAIT!"

The screech resonated through the self-imposed darkness. Both Wendys turned back to see a defeated Dipper waiting on edge within his cage. "Don't – I – I'll stay with you here…"

"What?!" Wendy lifted herself up, as she was hidden away in the clone's shadow. "Dude, no! Dipper, you don't know what you're doing!"

"Of course I do!" He turned away from her, directly focusing on her evil double. "I've – I can see everything clearly for the first time. You're the one that'll do anything for me, right? I mean, look at everything you've done to bring me here – to bring us together again…"

"For…real?" All of the anger and resentment faded away from the clone's voice. She went back to the cage, taking a chunk of the black mass along with her. Wendy could feel the gooey bindings thin out, encouraging her to squirm harder to get loose. The dark-hued facsimile paused in front of him with a sense of astonishment. "Do you mean it? You want to be here with me?"

"Yeah…" Dipper shook his head in agreement. "I wasn't using my head before. I didn't appreciate everything that you did for me. I was a fool not to see otherwise."

Her excited grin changed to a deep frown. She glanced back at Wendy, who halted her tussles and presented an innocent expression.

"What about her?"

"Well, what about her?" Dipper repeated.

"It's not like she can just sit there and watch…" The copy scratched her chin. "Though on second thought, that sounds like the perfect punishment for her."

"Nah. If you really wanted to punish Wendy, I have the perfect way to do so…"

"Ooh!" She rubbed her hands together ferociously. "I love it when you get a mean streak in you! So, what's the plan? Hang her upside down until all the blood leaves her feet? Maybe some Chinese water torture until she's driven utterly crazy?"

 _"Dipper…"_ Wendy thought, getting more worried by the second. _"What in the blazes are you doing?"_

"Oh, I have something even better in mind." He lowered his head and spoke in a soft, reassuring tone, "We're going to send her back home."

The clone pulled away from the cage and crossed her arms. "Afraid you lost me there, short stuff."

"No, it's perfect! Think about it for a second. You're the superior Wendy, right?"

"Uh-huh…"

"And what's the one thing that a Wendy absolutely, positively cannot stand?"

"Eh, you tell me…"

" _To lose."_ Dipper clarified. "For as I long as I've known her, Wendy hates to lose. It doesn't matter if it's a bet, or contest, or heck, even playing a video game, if she isn't top dog, it drives her batty. So, considering everything that she has been through to make it here, sending Wendy back empty-handed without any way to change things would eat away at her bit-by-bit…"

"Dipper!" Wendy warned. "Stop encouraging her! Please!"

"See?" Dipper tapped his temple. "It's already working. She can't even take us talking about it. It's the best kinda torment for someone like her; the perfect punishment to teach her to come between us."

"Us?"

"Yeah, _us_. Dipper and…" He swallowed a gulp. "Dipper and Wendy. Besides, you know I'm right. Who else would know better than you?"

"Mmm…" The clone gathered her thoughts, as a troubling silence overtook the chamber. Dipper stole a quick glimpse towards Wendy; the gleam in his bothered brown eyes offered a sign of where his true allegiance stood.

After an uneasy, seemingly eternal silence, the Wendy double reached into Dipper's cage. She caressed his pixelated cheek, as the boy forced a smile, trying his best not to recoil from her treacherous touch. The counterfeit returned his beam as she calmly murmured to him:

"Y'know. For a second there, you _almost_ had me…"

Dipper's face promptly fell. "W-What?"

With her demeanor still mild, the double slid her hand away from Dipper's cheek without as much as saying a word as he desperately tried to hang on to her wrist. "W-Wait! Where are you going?"

She turned away from his cage, with an apologetic tone in her voice. "Sorry, shrimp…" The clone flicked the sword from her hand before catching it again in mid-air, her eyes set on her locked-fast counterpart. "But I have to take care of something first…"

"But what about my idea?" Dipper scooted as far to the front as possible. "What about me and you? I thought we were going to send W – excuse me, _her_ , back and be done with it once and for all?"

"Oh, please, Dipper." The replica looked back at him. "She spent hours hopping from game dimension to game dimension to find this place. Do you think that if I send her back to the real world, she would give up like that?"

"You – You don't know that for sure…"

"Yes, I do, Dip. Because that's _precisely_ what I would do in her case. It's like what you said before: who else would know her better than me?"

Dipper bit his lip. He didn't know how to counter that particular truth.

"Now, then." The clone returned her attention back to Wendy, who went on with struggling in her sticky restraints. "Where were we?"

"I dunno." Wendy smarmily replied. "I think you were going on and on about some delusional garbage, like how you're better than me and – "

"Oh, that's right…" The enemy gripped her sword. "I was about to put an end to your smart-ass permanently..."

Dipper's fingers nervously tapped the steel bars as his mind raced. _"She's gonna kill Wendy! What am I gonna do? What can I do? I have to do something! Something fast!"_

Noticing the distance between his cage and the Wendy clone, Dipper began a last-ditch measure. He threw his weight against the back of the cell, as the connecting chain above started to sway.

*C-R-E-A-K!*

While in motion, Dipper shoved his way into the front, sending the cage back the other way.

*C-R-E-A-K!*

The small sleuth moved back and forth, increasing the flow of the swinging cage inch-by-inch. He stuck his transformed arms through the bars, as he came closer to the darker version of his sweetheart.

*C-R-E-A-K!*

"Just…a…bit…more…"

*C-R-E-A-K!*

*C-R-E-A-K!*

The imitation raised her sword; her charcoal-like eyes sparked a flash of red craziness. Wendy peered past her double, observing with quiet awe as her young admirer went to work.

 _"Truly unreal, Dip. Never down, never out…"_

"Any last words?"

Wendy lifted her head. "Uh…how about…look out behind you?"

The clone relaxed her stance as she let out a guffaw of disbelief. "Seriously? That's the best you can come up with? That tired cliché? Jeez! Even at Death's door, you manage to be a lazy, piece of – AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!"

She shrieked as Dipper dug his fingers into her long, raven-colored hair. The lengthy mass became a tangled blot as the clone was dragged back along with him, stretching out her upper half.

"W-What do you think you're doing, Dipper?!"

"Whatever it takes to stop you! I won't let you kill my Wendy!"

"No! No! Stop it!" She howled in distress. "You're ruining my beautiful body! Release me now, or else, I swear you'll be sorry!"

"You want me to stop?" Dipper demanded. "Then, swear you'll let both of us go!"

"Never!"

Wendy could do nothing as Dipper swung around, distorting the clone's features with each given pass. More and more goo was drained from her shackles, returning to its original source to aid its weakened frame.

After a few swings, Dipper's fingers had strained through the matted hair. He looked ahead to see that the clone's body had become warped and misshapen, becoming taller in the process, but left uneven and out of place due to the lack of additional backbone to support it . Her naturally straight hair had been tugged out of the roots and bent into an unnatural contour. Her dimpled face was now overexerted, her nose left cocked on an angle, her mouth set in that of a permanent scream.

"Wha…" The double used her hands to feel about the dealt damage. "Oh…I don't – " Her murmurs of disbelief swiftly warped into exclamations of outrage. "You – You dirty, little bastard!" She ran to the cage with sword held high. "I'll teach you to mess with me!"

"YEOW!" Dipper fled to the back of his cell, hanging on for dear life as it continued to rock. The Wendy facsimile crashed her blade into the steel bars, mindlessly and frantically trying to reach the vulnerable child within.

*THWANG!*

*THWANG!*

*THWANG!*

"Stay away from me!" Dipper dug his sneakers into the metal floor to stop from sliding down. "Leave me alone!"

*THWANG!*

"Not so tough now, are you, kid?" She took swing after swing into the cage, not even taking the time to aim for her target. "What's wrong? Can't talk your way outta this one?"

*THWANG!*

"Please!"

*THWANG!*

Left without any other choice, the frightened boy wailed out:

"Help! Wendy, help me! Please, Wendy! Help!"

The moment the broken-voice plea reached the redhead's ears, she immediately saw red. With a sudden burst of renewed strength, Wendy launched off the balls of her feet and slowly rose off the ground.

 _"….coming. Dip…I'm coming…"_

She yanked her arms up, sensing that the bands holding her were thinning out like chewed-up bubble gum. With one last heave, Wendy's right hand was freed with a *SNAP!* Using her sword, she slashed the black slime-manacle holding her left wrist.

*SNAP!*

Wendy pumped her knees up and down until the threads holding her ankles gave away.

*SNAP!*

*SNAP!*

Her breath heavy, the girl flung the shield off her left arm, seizing her rapier with both hands. She snuck forward on tip-toes, lining herself behind her evil twin.

*THWANG!*

*THWANG!*

Meanwhile, the wicked double had changed tactics, twisting her blade horizontal to reach Dipper from within the cage bars. Each failed stab made him shriek in terror.

"Don't worry, bucko." She taunted, jiggling her sword between the iron. "I'm only gonna take a finger or two. We'll keep trying until we get this right! After all, we have all the time in the – URGH!"

Baffled, Dipper sat up as the clone's voice was cut off by a bubbling gurgle. The edge of a sword came rushing out of her chest. Her sword slipped from her fingertips as she patted the wounded area with her hands. She attempted to turn her neck, to see her attacker, but was unable to due to how she had been impaled.

"I – I – I – "

Dipper leaned forward on his knees to see that Wendy had speared her doppelganger through the back. With a determined look, the warrioress steadied her hold on the sword's handle, regaining enough breath between pants to say:

"Get away from _my_ Dipper…!"

As the clone shook her head, already knowing what was next, Wendy pulled on the weapon, carving up past her chest and exiting out her shoulder blade.

"NOW!"

Wendy stepped back as the double's divided body fell apart, waving about in the air like a shredded piece of paper. Her legs collapsed, as black ooze poured from every orifice. The severed neck wavered freely as the still-connected head twisted around, the mouth slowly twitched, omitting strange, unhuman sounds as saddened black eyes glowering up with moisture gathering.

"For what it's worth," Wendy said. "I am sorry for what happened to you. Believe me, I've been there many, many times over. But with that said, there's no excuse for what you did; for the living hells you've put both of us through. So, you know what? _I'm done_. I'm done with playing games. I'm done with people telling me who I am and who they think I should be. And most of all…"

She placed a foot back and turned her waist, stepping forward to deliver the final blow.

 _"I'm sick and tired of monsters pretending to be me!"_

The clone's head rolled across the floor, vaporizing into a small pile of steaming dark goo. The remains of her body lost its shape, liquefying into a soft, dissolving mess that steadily grew thinner by the instance. Wendy noticed that the remnants appeared to seep back into the darkness hence it came.

"And with that said, slugger…"

*THWACK!

She lobbed off the padlock keeping the cage locked with one blow, just as the sword melted away in her hand.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand already!"

"You did it…" Dipper weakly cheered for his crush, crawling to the cage's front. "I knew you would. I didn't doubt…" He trailed off as suddenly, he stopped in place. His brown eyes rolled into the back of his head as his tiny body grew limp. To Wendy's horror, he fell forward, past the wired door and tumbled down to earth.

"DIPPER!" With lightning speed, Wendy dove down to catch her devotee. She wrapped her arms around his small figure as they hit the ground. Sitting back on her toes, Wendy hoisted Dipper upright, finding him completely unconscious. "Dipper?! Are you alright? Say something – oh, no!"

More of Dipper's face had become pixelated. It was getting harder for Wendy to find the pieces of pasty flesh amongst the layers of gaming graphics.

 _"I don't understand."_ Wendy thought. _"Why is this still happening to him? I mean, I aced that psycho, right? Shouldn't that have made him better?"_

"I – It's gonna be okay, Dip." The worried teen spoke to her comatose friend, her words serving as a pep talk to herself as well. "We'll – I'll get you home and get Ford to take a look at you. He's a smart guy – he has to know – he'll know how to fix you up in no time stat!"

Wendy searched behind Dipper for any signs of an exit. There wasn't a single source of light amiss the dark. She spun around, hoping that a portal home would appear out of the ether.

 _"Oh, come on already! Where is it? Where is it?"_ She returned her sights to her partner-in-crime as she was powerless to stop the transformation occurring in her grasp. _"I have to get him out of here ASAP!"_

With Wendy's focus on Dipper's condition, she didn't see as the remaining black puddles came together despite being lugged back into the eternal night.

 _"Nooo! It won't end like this! I won't let it!"_

A number of tentacles surfaced from the center of the ooze. One by one, they reached out, wrapping around Dipper's shoulders, and tried to hoist him out of Wendy's arms. "What the – Let 'im go!" She held her buddy's middle in a deep bear hug.

More vines entangled Dipper's shins and jerked back in an effort to slip him out of Wendy's grip. _"Give up already!"_ The living slime gurgled. _"He's mine!"_

"You're acting like…" Wendy firmed her embrace even harder, tensing her entire frame, going as far as to shut her eyes. "…he's some toy you can steal from my shelf. Just look at him! Haven't you hurt him enough already?"

 _"I'd rather see him dead than to end up with you!"_

"You'll have to go through me first!"

 _"My pleasure!"_

Even in her self-imposed darkness, Wendy could make out the touch of the feelers as assaulted her, slapping her cheeks and scraping her freckled skin. They pinched and poked and tickled, but no attack could pry her pint-sized companion from her arms.

"Gonna…have…to…do…better…than…that!"

 _"Fine! You asked for it!"_

*SPLAT!*

A large blot of the onyx goo spread over Wendy's face, covering both her mouth and nose. It crawled into her nostrils and sealed her lips shut, preventing her from inhaling or exhaling. The ginger opened her eyes as she gagged. Strands of slime held each of Dipper's limbs in mid-air, all striving to bring him into the mass fading away into the remoteness.

The blemish hardened like a scab. Wendy's energy was being sapped away due to lack of air. She knew what the clone's plan was. The only way to remove the goop was to scratch it off. She looked back at Dipper, whom in his current state, didn't even know how much danger he was in.

 _If Wendy were to let him go to save herself, she would never see him again._

Her eyes seemed to get heavier by the second. Wendy fought to keep her head from bobbing. _"Gotta…hang on a little longer. Know…I can outlast her. Dip's counting…on me…"_

*SQUEAK!*

Unexpectedly, Wendy's left foot slipped out from under her, breaking the standoff. As she fell on her knee, the tendrils used the opportunity to pluck Dipper from her arms. "MO!" Wendy screeched as she watched the boy fly through the sky, as the final leftovers were sent into the abyss, taking him along for the ride.

 _"Yesssssssssss…"_

"TOM ACK!" Wendy staggered to her feet as she ripped the dried goop off. "COME BACK!" She raced after Dipper, her balance not stable yet, her lungs still aching for fresh air. Her every muscle throbbed, the pain gradually becoming a gentle numbness. She reached out for his hand, missing it by a few inches.

No matter how fast she ran, Dipper seemed to get further and further away from her. Wendy couldn't tell if it was dumb luck, or if it was her double's way of taunting her. The redhead tripped over her own feet, recovering a split second later. Her legs were about to give out on her. Wendy knew she couldn't keep the chase up forever.

 _"One last chance…"_

Wendy leapt forward off both feet, stretching out with both hands towards her co-worker's legs. If she were to make contact, she would be able to pull him back to the ground and out of harm's way…

Her fingers barely grazed his sneakers. Dipper was elevated up and out-of-reach as Wendy crashed face-first into the bleak flooring. Her body had failed her. She couldn't lift herself off the ground. With her head tilted to the side, she saw the small detective being dragged into the distance until he was far from sight.

"C-C-Come…back…"

Wendy took a number of deep breaths, hoping to gain a speedy recovery. She planted her palms on the floor and pressed down, heaving herself back up. As Wendy tried to place her boots under her, they slipped right out, sending her crashing painfully on her knees.

"Ahh!" Wendy glanced up, no longer able to see Dipper or the monster that was insanely obsessed with him. The world had grown deathly quiet, devoid of any of signs of life. _Nothing else remained but her._

*SOB!*

At long last, the weary and emotionally drained heroine buckled under the immense pressure placed upon her shoulders. Wendy couldn't keep her emotions in check. Tears streamed from her shining emerald eyes as she wept onto her open hands.

After everything that had happened; after all of the battles and struggles that she had suffered though in her quest reach Dipper's side, Wendy didn't want to believe the awful truth: _she had lost the battle_ , and with that, her little guy to the video game universe.

She thought of her father, whom she knew wouldn't hail her hard-fought efforts, but instead would chide her for the accidental foot-fault that allowed her enemy to gain the upper hand. She could already hear the stern, passive-aggressive tone of her boss, Dipper's great-uncle, who would chalk her failure up to her usually lethargic nature.

Worse of all, just imagining the image of Dipper's twin sister staring up at her with those soft brown eyes as she explained why her brother wasn't coming home made Wendy cry even harder.

 _"It can't end like this! It…it can't!"_

 _"…can it?"_

All of a sudden, a strange, yet somewhat familiar sound reverberated across the darkened range. A following shrieking howl shook the area, prompting Wendy to look up.

*WHHHIIIRRR!*

 _"No! Not you! Anyone but you!"_

*KA-KOOSH!*

Wendy held her arms over her eyes as a brilliant blue light overcame the darkness. In the illuminated beam, she could see a figure standing in the aloofness. The sight filled Wendy with hope, enabling her to stand on unsteady feet. She limped faster and faster ahead towards the azure spectacle, praying that there was still time to make things right, until she came to a startling realization:

 _"The light – I'm not going to it; it's coming to me!"_

As her eyes adjusted to the light, the being within took shape. _It was a teenaged boy aged a few years older than Wendy, and yet, a bit shorter than her. His head was outfitted with a metallic azure helmet. A raised, cerulean stripe traveled from its back to the front, ending with a reflective ruby at the peak. Matching-colored indents above his eyebrows traveled around the helmet's edge, extending into a guard beneath his strong chin. Rounded grey circles with red insides rested on each side of the helmet, lining up to where his ears would be beneath._

 _His thinning body was dressed in a strong, but sleek garment set under pieces of sapphire-tinted armor. A thick breast plate was snapped over his chest, cutting off before his stomach. Attached shoulder guards branched down into his upper arms. Protective briefs below his middle were made of the same metal. Gigantic blue boots covered his entire legs, stretching down from pointed knee protectors to flexible joints found in his ankles._

 _Despite the various changes, Wendy instantly recognized the outfit, "This – that's the same armor that Dipper wore when the gaming world invaded Gravity Falls! But – But it's different. This one's bigger and taller! And more advanced and detailed."_

 _But the most haunting detail was the boy's face. While his bright green eyes shone like a car's headlights, his other features triggered Wendy's memory; the stubby, little nose sticking out; the flattened cheeks that were once chubby and squishy, the absolute look of pure determination she'd seen countless times before. The difference in age had disguised it from her before, but once the comparison was made, she'd never be able to separate the two again._

Her breath caught in a half-gasp, Wendy forced herself to speak as her eyes watered again at the impossible thought, "A-A-As – "

"Hi…"

The stranger gave her a gentle and warming smile that somehow put her fears to rest. He took a cautious step forward, his bulky, cobalt steel-clad arms slowly opened from a cradled position against his body. "I think this little guy belongs with you…"

Within the boy's white-gloved hands, Dipper Pines lied safe and sound in his still-unconscious state, unaware of the grim fate that awaited him mere moments before.

"Oh!" Wendy exclaimed, as all the wind was knocked out of her lungs again. "…mygoshohmygosh…"

Before she could ask, the armored rescuer carefully set Dipper into Wendy's arms as they bent to support her slumbering cohort. She gave him a quick look-over, unable to find any additional injures caused during the chase.

"I still don't believe – " Wendy went back to the older boy. "Thank you!" She accidentally let out a few weeps between fragments. "Thank you so much!"

Without saying a word, he used his thumb to gently wipe the tears from her face. "It's going to be all right. There is no reason to cry anymore. You're safe now. _You're both safe_."

The simple act of kindness only made Wendy shed more tears. The same touch; the same voice; it all felt like _him_.

"Such a touching moment. I swear, it belongs on the front of a greeting card or something…"

Wendy froze up as _a second armor-plated soldier appeared from the right of his counterpart. Sporting vermilion battle gear, his helmet was horned with a white center containing a triangular blue gem. A slit allowed his long, perfectly-straightened blonde hair to flow fully down his backside; Wendy found herself envious, considering her own tangled red locks._

 _A scarlet vest with massive red and white trimmed shoulder pads was set on top a black bodysuit. Oddly enough, two see-through green jewels stuck out of the armor's front. A ridged yellow exhaust vent on the bottom lined up with a corresponding one stemming from the top of his elevated white briefs. Cherry-colored boots came up to his knees, marked with jagged white pads. Unlike the other boy, his ankles were supported by a weird-looking grey circles that allowed him to bend his shins._

 _Wendy looked into the teenager's sharp blue eyes, as they gave off an uneasy dim in place of an intense glow. She could see his being through them; the presented cool demeanor hiding away a conflicted and weary spirit. It was something that she could easily relate to. He raised his trademark weapon in his right white-gloved hand: a golden-handled sword that appeared to be made of living green fire._

Seeing the new threat before her, Wendy held Dipper closer against her chest, unsure of what was going to happen next. The blue knight perceived her worry and set a calming hand on her shoulder. "Don't be afraid. He's one of the good guys…"

"The good guys?" Wendy shook her head clear. "Wait! What about that crazy witch?" She glimpsed down at Dipper for a moment. "Is she…"

"The threat has been neutralized." The blue teen reassured. "That creature will not be troubling you any further."

"Are you sure?" The ginger questioned further. "That…thing. She, or it, or whatever, has a way of coming back again and again…"

"No offense, lady," The red swordman spoke up. "But that's why we're _Maverick Hunters_. It's our job to make sure monsters like that stay down for the count!"

"Are we like, talking ashes here?"

"Nah…" He playfully waved his sword about, creating neon streaks in the air. "What's the thing beyond ashes? Oh, yeah…" He returned the blade to the sheath on his back. "She's probably atoms now. If that…"

Wendy appreciated another quick wit among her. "Nice laser sword. It looks way cooler than the glowing sticks in those space opera movies that the kid watches."

 _"Beam sabre."_ He corrected with a proud nod. "But thanks."

The doubts about the blue-dressed hero clouded Wendy's mind again. _She had to know for sure._

"Um, don't take this the wrong way, guys, but…are you human under the suits? Or…"

The two fighters shared a confused look and a shrug. The leader closed his green eyes as he concentrated. Just as Dipper could do with his armor, the helmet began to retract via its user's inner thoughts, revealing his true identity.

Wendy waited on edge, expecting to see the familiar cobalt curly hair that belonged to the future version of the cherished pal in her arms. Her tender heart fell into her knees as she learned the truth.

The boy didn't have a single hair beneath his head. His top of his scalp was made of a thick clear shell. Within the casing, bulbs flashed, connected gears toiled endlessly, and coiled wiring sizzled with electricity. The series of circuities worked in conjunction to bring the metal being to life.

"Oh…you're really a robot."

" _Reploid_ , actually. Robots can't think for themselves like we can." He could easily sense the sorrow in Wendy's expression. "I'm sorry." His helmet reappeared in an instant. "Did I offend you somehow?"

"Oh! No, no…" Wendy shrunk back with embarrassment. "It's – You look like – you remind me of somebody that I used to know."

"I see." He frowned in response. "I didn't mean to – "

"Man, are you kidding?" Wendy interjected. "You're the last person that should apologize! You guys totally saved the day!" She affectingly ruffled Dipper's shaggy brown hair with her left hand. "At least more than I did."

"Please do not sell yourself short." The android comforted. "Taking on an A-Class threat such as that without the aid of any powers or heavy-duty weapons is indeed a noteworthy task."

"If you say so. But how did you find us? We're, like, in the middle of nowhere…"

"Oh, man." The red automaton crossed his arms and prepared himself. "You are gonna love this…"

The blue reploid started to tell his tale, "We received a distress signal summoning us to these dimensional coordinates. At first, I found the whole situation strange, until I realized who had sent the message."

"Hold up! You're saying that someone asked you two to help Dipper and me out? But who would do that?"

He turned his white hand and opened his palm. A faint, green image was beamed a few inches upward, taking the form of _a portly older man wearing a wrinkled white lab coat and tan slacks. His messy, colorless hair matched his equally fuzzy beard. His soft eyes offered a window into his kind-heartened soul._

"That Doctor dude!" Wendy immediately remembered. "The one that looks like Santa Claus! He's the guy that gave Dipper the armor last time!"

"Heh!" The sword-wielding fighter chuckled under his breath. "…like Santa Claus…" A stern look from his teammate brought an end to his merriment.

"As I was saying," the blue-armored boy continued. "Some of the Doctor's analyzation tools had picked up on an unknown sign of life in a strange pocket of grey matter between dimensions."

"So…this place?"

"Exactly! He sent a BEAT unit to investigate further, and found himself surprised when he discovered your friend in his predicament. However, by the time the damaged BEAT returned home, the alignments between words had shifted. It was too late to mount a rescue attempt."

"But…" Wendy was confused by the story. "You're here now, aren't ya?"

"This is where it gets good…" The red combatant teased.

"We exist within a world in the latter half of the 22nd Century." The reploid teenager detailed. "I have never met my creator, _my father_ , face-to-face; only through preprogrammed holograms such as the one in my hand. In one such current message, the Doctor had asked me to travel to this place, at this particular time, when this doorway would reopen. And once here, I was tasked to ensure the well-being of two adolescence-aged humans matching your descriptions."

"Wow…just total mind-melt, guys…" Wendy felt dizzy. Somehow, her secret hope for a certain time-traveler had become twisted about. "You came over a hundred years to help us out. But why? Not to sound ungrateful, but you could've ignored the old guy and said no."

"You are correct in theory, but I owe the child in your arms my very existence…"

"Dipper?! But…but how?!"

"Before meeting your friend, my father had become somewhat disheartened by what had happened to my predecessor: _a peaceful soul turned into a war-machine to save mankind_. The Doctor could see the toll the constant fighting was taking on him. He swore never to burden a child of his with such a task. That is, until he met your…Dipper, was it?"

Wendy glanced down at the slumbering, pint-sized teen in her arms as the tale went on. "Upon seeing the end of his world, he had begged the Doctor for help to save his loved ones. While being strong in spirit, he was obviously weak of flesh…"

"What, the noodle arms weren't a big enough hint?"

"Regardless, my father relented, and granted Dipper's wish. And after seeing your friend fight valiantly for his home, the Doctor was reinspired by such selflessness. He understood then that the future would always need a champion to defend against injustice…"

"And that's when he created you, right?"

He nodded, "And with me, came a new type of robot – one who could make that decision to fight of his or her own accord, like he did that day." The reploid gazed down at Dipper with a sense of awe. "It's incredible that so very much came from one so very small, isn't it?"

"Yep…" Wendy said with pride. "Ol' Dip seems to have that effect on people. Believe me, I know."

"Hey!" The blonde interrupted. "You didn't give her the message that " _Old Man Light_ " left about the munchkin."

"I didn't forget. I was getting to that. This is a lot for someone to take in, you know."

"Wait?" Wendy asked. "What message?"

The blue warrior looked back into her eyes. "With the last of his transmission, my father gave us his reasoning for requesting our help to rescue Dipper. His words were, _"While he had not been built by my own hands, I consider that boy to be one of my sons, as you are…"_

"Well, if you ask me," Wendy displayed a toothy beam. "I'd say you did dear ol' dad proud. So, again, thanks a lot…" She observed a new detail on the blue armor. Across the belt-line, there was a small circular pendant with a single initial marked across it.

"Huh, " _X_ …" Wendy read. "Is that like, what they call you?"

"It's a variable…" The machine began again. "It represents limitless potential, and – "

"Ah, jeez!" His red cohort slapped his forehead. "Not this tired, boring story again!"

The blue knight twirled around, "Well then, how would you explain it?"

"Gladly!" The agitated red android approached Wendy and Dipper. "Let's see…"X" means that we are not bound by what lies on the outside, but instead our true power and strength comes from the endless possibilities within. Depending on how we decide to use it, it could be something that's very good, or something that's extremely dangerous." He set his fists against his sides. "Was that clear enough for ya?"

"Crystal." Wendy noted. "Like the old "if you put your mind to it…" gag."

"Bingo!" He clicked his artificial tongue and pointed at her. The red warrior returned to his buddy's side. "See? Took two sentences…"

"Still…"

The duo turned back towards Wendy, as a shade of guilt overcame her.

"Still what?"

"This is gonna sound stupid, but…" Wendy confessed. "After hearing your guys' epic story, and everything you went through to get here, I…I dunno. I feel kinda… _useless_ , y'know. I spent heaven knows how long to get here, getting my butt whupped by every bad guy known to man along the way. I mean, what would have happened if you two didn't come in the nick of time?"

More doubt weighed down on her being. "Maybe that psycho had a point. Maybe I really don't make as much of a difference in his life as I thought…"

"You can't think like that!" The blue bot interjected. "You – "

He was silenced as his red acquaintance shot his hand up. "No. I got this one." The laser fencer walked back to Wendy. "So what if you didn't deal the final blow to that blob thing. Big deal! And you're probably right. We didn't really need your help to save that kid…"

"I don't think this is a good idea, Zer – "

"Let me finish. The point is that there's a bunch of "if's" there. What if we didn't reach the small fry in time because you didn't try to stop 'em? You definitely left your mark on that monster back there. You set her up, and all we did was knock her down."

"Sure; if you say so…"

"Besides, you did something that even we couldn't do for "Sleeping Beauty" there."

"And what's that?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "You gave your little buddy _faith_. Yeah, it was total chance that we received a distress signal from hundreds of years in the past, but I'd bet we'd be the very last faces he expected to see. I'm more than sure than there was a particular someone he was hoping to lend him a hand out of this jam. Wouldn't you think so?"

Wendy thought back to Dipper's reaction when he realized she was the real deal. He almost broke out of the cage, trying to reach out for her.

"Hey…yeah! Yeah!"

The red reploid stuck his thumb out behind him. "I may not be a softie like my friend there, but I can promise you this: the fact that you crashed through everything and anything that stood in your way in order to find him meant more than us popping out from nowhere to blow that freak-job away. After all…"

He went back to his blue ally and oddly enough, the two crossed opposite wrists, as if the gesture were a sort of secret handshake. "…that's what makes for the best partners _– that you always have someone that you can count on and you can do the same for them!"_

"You're – you're right…" The stranger's words had cleaned Wendy's mind and heart of all uncertainty and anxiety. "Thanks. I really needed that pep talk, um…"

Seeing the robot from the side, Wendy could see a marking along both of its whitened shoulder pads.

"…I'm going to take a stab here; I'm guessing your name is "Zee…""?

The reploids looked at each other before exploding into a fit of laughter.

"Yeah. Something like that…"

Finally at ease, Wendy joined in with the snickers. The three's giggling echoed across the now-empty plane.

"AH! AH! AHHHHHH!"

Unexpectedly, the red fighter's body started to seize up as he started to go into convulsions. He clutched at his head with both hands as he screamed bloody murder. The blue soldier instinctively caught his equal and supported him on one knee. "Oh, no! Not again! I thought we were done with this!"

"What's happening?!" Wendy leaned forward to try to see what was going on. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

The fretful protector held out his arm, "Stay where you are!"

"But what's wrong with him? _His eyes are glowing purple! And what's the deal with the gem on his head? Why's there a white "W" flashing there?"_

"I can't answer your questions now. Please leave us be for a moment."

"Okay! Okay!"

As Wendy watched the hero tried to revive his fallen compadre, a weird shaking feeling came from her right jeaned pocket. _"It's…my cell phone? I totally forgot I had that in there. But there's no way I'm getting any reception out here. Maybe it's a missed text or something?"_

With Dipper in her arms, there wasn't any way she could check. _"Gonna have to wait 'till later to see what's up…"_

By the time she looked back, the cherry-armored boy had grown calm. His azure colleague placed his arm around his back and helped him to back to his feet, as he blankly muttered out loud.

"It's fine. I'm fine. I didn't mean to freak anyone out."

"I think…we need to get going. You're going to need a diagnostic stat!"

After a second to take things in, Wendy spoke out, "Hang a sec! What about us? How do we get home?"

While supporting his friend, the blue boy turned to his left towards her. "My mistake." He pulled his free hand out, as the bulky blue cuff on his wrist morphed into an arm cannon. The nozzle let out a deafening buzzing sound as it glowed a series of neon colors.

*WHHHIIIRRR!*

"You might want to take a few steps to the side. And watch out for him, too."

Wendy side-stepped to the right, well out of the cannon's range. She tightened her face, making sure to hold Dipper against her shoulder to shield his eyes.

*KA-KOOSH!*

A nuclear blast filled with blue, red, and pink flames rushed past Wendy and Dipper and into the distance. From behind her, the clerk heard the sound of glass shattering. She twirled about on her heels, finding that a white gateway had been hidden behind a paneling of reflective black glass.

"The portal?!" Wendy couldn't believe it. "It was here the whole time?!"

"I'm afraid so." The reploid commander confirmed. "Your enemy used her dark powers to hide it from plain sight, but my eye sensors spotted it right away. I should have revealed the deception much earlier, but with the current events and – "

"Dude," Wendy calmed him. "You apologize way, way too much for your own good. Thanks for the exit!"

"My pleasure…"

An awkward silence soon came into play between the two kindred spirits.

"So…"

"So…"

The soldier hoisted more of his friend's weight on him. "Forgive us for not seeing you home, but he – I have to get him back home quickly." The two limped as one back into the darkness, presumably towards the path they had originally entered the fray.

 _"Is it finally over?"_

The blue teen paused, looking over his shoulder at Wendy, who was now bathed in the portal's striking light.

"Like, will all of this craziness ever happen again? Am I going to have to watch my back every time I play a video game from now on?"

He smiled and shook his head. " _No_. Based on the calculations I collected, once we return to our respective words, the link between the dimensions will be sealed off. The only way they can be reopened is if someone on your end does so."

"I'll keep that in mind the next time I go to the arcade. Ditto for the little guy."

"Glad to hear it…" He leisurely returned with his injured cohort to the road before him. "Farewell, Dipper and Wendy. Take good care of one another."

"Goodbye, As – I mean, _X_." Wendy whispered back. "Thanks for everything…"

With the champions departed, the exhausted high-schooler whirled back towards the awaiting portal. She took one last reassuring look at her long-lost partner-in-crime before entering what she hoped to be her final trip between the gaming dimensions. After a few steps, everything seemed to feel a ton lighter…

 _"C'mon, Dip. It's time to go back home…"_


	10. Chapter 10

_"Why can't I hear you?  
Stay with me. Don't let me go. (Don't let go…)  
Because there's nothing left at all.  
Stay with me. Don't let me go. (Don't let go…)  
Until the Ashes of Eden fall.  
Stay with me. (Heaven above me…)  
_ _Take my hand. (Don't let me go…)  
Shine until there's nothing left but you.  
Heaven above me. (Stay with me…)  
_ _Don't let me go. (Take my hand…)  
Shine until there's nothing left but you!"_

"Ashes of Eden," by Breaking Benjamin.

 **Final Chapter – Always Connected**

*GASP!*

The white light faded as Wendy reopened her eyes. Comfort and a soft surrounding awaited her instead of the usual rough landings that came from dimension-hopping. As her vision returned, the redhead was surrounded by the sight of patches of flannel and stitched-on pine trees.

 _She was lying on top the handmade comforter set upon her wooden framed bed. Wendy was finally home._

Wendy turned to the left, taking in all of the personal possessions she had thought she'd never see again; the chipped dresser with afghan blanket covering and flower-shaded lamp above; the old-school CRT television she had rescued and perfectly adjusted with a half-broken antenna next to a flimsy movie rack; her walls plastered with faded posters of B-horror movies and rock festivals; all of these things she had taken for granted now made her sigh with relief.

A rainbow glow from behind provided much needed warmth. The crystal heart ornament hung over Wendy's bedroom window, twisting the sunlight into a beautiful display. Her brown trapper hat was hung against the right-most log-bedpost. For some reason, both her feet felt much lighter. Wendy lifted her legs into the air, finding herself in red and orange socks. She peered over the edge of her bed, seeing that her muddy lumberjack boots were neatly aligned on the floor next to a pair of tiny black sneakers.

 _"Wait…DIPPER!"_

Wendy's heart skipped a beat as she twirled to her right. She let out another relieved heave as she found Dipper Pines curled into a ball, his capped head resting on her light-pink pillow. Wendy crawled on hands and knees across her bed to get a closer look.

"Dipper?"

Wendy sat back on her heels and carefully pulled her friend towards her by his shoulder. Although the thirteen-year-old was still unconscious, any trace of his mysterious malady had vanished. His dark brown hair had resumed its messy, curly state. His flushed face had reverted back to its chubby-cheeked shape. His button nose was no longer pixelated and squared, but rounded and runny.

Dipper wore a peaceful expression as he slept, like as if he hadn't been put through a living nightmare minutes ago. However, Wendy noticed something off – his chest wasn't rising and falling with breath.

"Dipper…" She gently shook her admirer's arm in an effort to wake up. His skin was thankfully still warm. "It's time to rise and shine…"

He didn't as much as move a muscle.

"Dip…" Wendy pleaded, as she shook him harder. "C'mon, man. Don't do this to me…"

A million thoughts raced through the cashier's mind. What if her rescue was too late? What if the curse that done something to him on the inside?

"Dipper…" Wendy rocked him back and forth with both hands as her nerves bundled. "Please…"

"Egh…" At long last, the boy showed signs of life, letting out a muffled snort and involuntarily swatted his crush away before rolling back onto his side.

"Ah…" A small cry escaped from Wendy's lips before her irritation got the best of her. She rose up on her knees and pitched Dipper's nostrils shut with her fingers. "DIPPER! GET UP RIGHT NOW!"

"GAH!" Dipper sprung up in reflex before landing back on the mattress. His eyes flickered as he saw his main squeeze smirking at him.

"Hey there, shrimp. You really gave me quite a scare back there…"

Dipper didn't answer. Instead, he glanced downwards, using his hands to pat up his body, ending up with his fingers rubbing against his face. "I'm – I'm back to normal?"

Wendy's smile deepened as her friend sat up and twisted his neck, searching the room in a frenzy. "And we're – back home…?"

"Yeah…"

Dipper gazed up at Wendy as he started to process what had happened. "That – it wasn't really a dream, was it?"

She shook her head, "No, buddy. Believe me, I wish it was. That was all sorts of messed up, wasn't it?"

He answered, "To be honest, at first, I thought the whole thing was karma for us pirating all those old games."

"Pssh!" Wendy blew out her lips as she waved the notion away, trying to make light of the situation. "I wish it was that simple. The worse we would have gotten would be a sternly-written letter from some ambulance chaser."

Her grin faded, as Dipper stared ahead, a sense of sadness overtaking him. Wendy moved closer to him, knowing that she couldn't leave things as they were. The accusations of her fallen clone haunted her conscience. "Dude - I mean, Dipper. I can't even begin to tell you how friggin' sorry I am about all of this…"

Dipper turned back towards her. "Wendy?" He knew it was unlike her to apologize so forwardly.

"This was all my fault. If I didn't buy that stupid gaming system, none of this would have happened…"

"Wendy…" Dipper attempted to calm her rant.

"…and that wacko wannabe wouldn't have been able to get her mitts on you…"

"Wendy…" He tried again to interrupt without success.

"…and we wouldn't have been dragged through that whole mess…"

"WENDY!"

"WHAT?!" She shouted back in response.

Dipper swooped in and wrapped his noodle arms around her waist, bringing her to a complete halt. Wendy froze in place, somewhat stunned by the gesture with disbelief. It had been only hours before that she feared she would never feel this ever again.

Slowly, she cradled her green-plaid arms around his shorten stature, holding the back of his head with her right hand. Dipper could hear Wendy's heartbeats gradually still as she came down from her anxious high.

"How it happened doesn't matter." Dipper said. "All that's important was that I was in trouble and you came for me…"

Wendy raised her head. This wasn't the first time they've shared a moment like this. Usually, the two would cap things off with a cheesy line about how partners had to stick together, or how one would perform such a herculean task, knowing that the other would easily return the favor.

But this time was different; Wendy didn't know as much as felt it. With that, she offered a different, yet unsuspected answer:

 _"Always…"_

Her response made Dipper squeeze her even harder. At last, Wendy understood the unknown sorrow plaguing her thoughts. _There were no guarantees in life_. It was up to her to deal with the hand fate had dealt her and try to make the most of it. And nothing rang truer especially when considering the pint-sized detective she had grown fond of during the summer. Who knew how many more moments they had together that could be taken for granted?

Yet, one thing was made entirely clear, considering the display of pure affection before her: _she had no fear of being forgotten or left behind._ Despite the obstacles of time and distance, they would always carry a piece of each other with them forever.

And no monster or evil entity could rob them of that.

As the minutes passed, the duo found themselves again in an uneasy silence, just like after their wrestling/tickle fight earlier in the day. But there wasn't a sense of awkwardness to be found. Instead of hoping for something to break the ice, both hoped that the warmth and coziness shared would last as possible.

Ironically, Dipper was the one to notice such a change.

"Uh…Wendy?"

"Yeah, Dip?"

She could sense him relaxing his grip. "I – Look, don't take this the wrong way, but, is everything alright?"

Wendy didn't even as much as open her eyes. "Never better. Why?"

"No reason. No reason." Dipper stumbled with his words. "It's just that – well, when we've done this –you're usually the first to let go."

"Not this time…" She said with earnest. _"After everything that's happened today, definitely not this time."_

"Hey, no complaints here." He promptly resumed to their cuddle.

*BUZZ-BUZZ*

Time itself had been lost to the partners-in-crime. An annoying ring, similar to that of an alarm clock going louder and louder. At first, they ignored the irritating buzzing, but it refused to cease for even a second.

"…Wendy?"

As Dipper started to let go, Wendy tightened her hold, "Not yet, okay? Whatever it is, it'll turn off its own…"

*BUZZ-BUZZ*

*BUZZ-BUZZ*

*BUZZ-BUZZ*

Dipper chuckled at the constant ringing.

"What's so funny?"

"Wendy," Dipper laughed again. "It's you. Your tummy's vibrating."

"Ugh!" She rolled her emerald eyes as she groaned, "Seriously?!"

They peered down to see that her jeaned pant pocket shook every few seconds to an inconstant rhythm. Wendy glanced up at Dipper, who shrugged. "I don't think it's gonna stop. You might it as well answer it. It's not like I'm going anywhere…"

A strict look from Wendy made Dipper shrink back, "Oh, heh-heh. Poor choice of words…?"

Wendy sighed, reaching into her pocket. "No kidding, Sherlock. " She retrieved her flip phone, noticing a flashing message on the LCD screen on front. "Figures…damned thing doesn't work the whole day, and now, it won't give us a moment's peace…"

 **"(1) NEW MESSAGE  
(1) FILE ATTACHED."**

"File attached?" Wendy flicked the phone open with her thumb. Her freckled face wrinkled at the image awaiting her on her home screen. "What…the…hell?"

Dipper leaned over Wendy's shoulder. "What's wrong?! What is it?!"

She turned towards him, tilting the phone so that Dipper could see the attachment. "It's a picture of _some weird bald guy_ …"

"Did you say a bald guy?"

Within the frame, a haunting image of _a strange, tall inhuman figure seemed to watch Wendy and Dipper's every move. His narrow black eyes contained small slits of cold blue light inside. Each eye had been scarred with large, horizontal purple tears, almost like someone had attempted to rip them out._

 _His head was round, devoid of any trace of hair or distinguishing marks, while his face was long and thinning. A grin, soulless sneer was plastered above a cleft chin and below a slender nose. Along his creamy, artificial flesh, a small red jewel was embedded into his forehead._

 _He stood alone against a backdrop of raging purple fire. The color reminded Wendy of the same violet shade she had seen in the red robot's eyes during his seizure. Although she couldn't prove it, a gut feeling told her that it was more than a coincidence._

"Who is that?" Wendy asked, unable to take her eyes off the phone.

"I think the better question is _what_ is that?" Dipper added.

"I dunno. But I'm not gonna lie to ya, man. He kinda freaks me out."

"Me, too…" Dipper's eyebrows rose upon finding a new clue. "Hey, look at that ruby in his head. There's…some sort of strange symbol marked inside."

"Hey, yeah! I see it too _. It looks like a weird, demented "E." Or like a capital "M" flipped to its left and with tips on its legs._ "

"Wait!" The tiny sleuth snapped his fingers. "I think I recognize that mark!"

"You do?"

"It's from the Greek alphabet. But I forget which one exactly. _Alpha? Omega?_ I'm not entirely sure…"

*BUZZ-BUZZ*

A new message was displayed over the unsettling portrait:

"WARNING! WARNING! VIRUS INFECTION DETECTED!"

"Bah!" Aggravated, Wendy tossed her phone across the bed, as it bounced from the mattress onto the floor. "The perfect way to cap off this day…"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Wendy." Dipper set a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Grunkle Ford can come up with an anti-virus to fix it…" He paused. "…once he catches up on his research in 21st Century Electronics."

"Maybe…" Wendy set her sights past the expendable burner phone to their next dilemma. "But speaking of possessed gizmos…" She motioned with her neck. "What are we going to do about that thing?"

Dipper and Wendy focused on the Wega Multi-Wonder left forgotten on the bare floor. All signs of life and energy had been drained from the wayward gaming system, leaving it as it was once was.

Wendy crept to the edge of her bed and clung firmly to the crafted post for support. She slowly stretched out a lanky leg, reaching out with the red-tip of her socked foot towards the machine.

"Wait a second!" Dipper grabbed his sweetheart from behind, making her jump in surprise. Wendy scrambled to regain her balance, desperately clinging to the wooden support to keep from failing.

"Jeez, dude! " She spun around to chide her devotee. "How about some warning before you do that, huh?!"

"Sorry, but what are you doing?"

"What do you think?" The lumberjane returned to the task at hand, using her super-long limb. "I'm going to poke it to make sure it's good and dead."

Dipper gripped her harder. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Well, we can't just stay here marooned on my bed forever, can we?"

"But…"

"It'll be fine." Wendy peeked back at him. "But seriously, stay behind me and be ready to book if things get freaky, 'kay?"

He nodded in agreement as the lumberjack princess continued with her experiment. Beads of sweat blotted against her forehead as the friends seethed in edgy unison. She sensed Dipper's fingers claw deeper into her shoulder as her big toe came closer to its goal. With a feather tap, Wendy jabbed the compact system before folding her leg back under her with lightning speed.

"PHEW!" They exclaimed together with much solace, seeing that the poke had no obvious effect.

"I guess that settles that, eh?" Wendy lowered her stocking feet to the floor, with Dipper following shortly after. "Looks like the craziness is all over with…"

"For now, at least." Dipper walked over to the Wega Multi-Wonder and plucked it from the ground. He disconnected it from its AC Adapter to ensure it wouldn't be able to turn on. "It's a shame if you think about it. It was a nice little game player; y'know, before it started opening gateways to different dimensions."

"I know, slugger." Wendy lamented. "I was told that all the doors through were closed off, but who's to say for sure. What if that thing has the power to break through to the gaming world again?"

"Then, what should we do with it? Do you think that we can stash it somewhere?"

"Not here we're not!" Wendy made clear. "Can you imagine if my brothers were to find it and get it to act all goofy again?! No, thank you!"

"Okay. How about leaving it with Grunkle Ford?"

"Dipper, no offense." Wendy said. "But after all that business with that Bill guy, I really don't feel comfortable with giving your uncle a magic machine that'll allow him access to new, unexplored realms."

"Good point." He moaned, glancing down at the player with a sense of pity. "Maybe the best thing we can do is to trash it so that way, we'll know that – "

He stopped in mid-sentence, noting his not-so-secret love had grown crestfallen. "Oh, Wendy. I didn't mean – it was a really nice gift and - "

"No, Dip." She reassured him. "It's cool, really. We have to do the responsible thing here. It's just – I wish we didn't have to end up empty-handed. Considering how much you said this baby was worth, it's too bad we couldn't sell the pieces for scrap…"

Upon hearing her words, Dipper instantly lit up. "Wait, Wendy. What did you just say?"

Confused, Wendy repeated her sentence, "I said, "It's too bad we couldn't sell the pieces for scrap?""

"That's it!" Dipper rejoiced. "That's the answer we're looking for! Wendy, you're a genius!"

Wendy placed a fist against her waist. "Kiddo, you lost me. You mind filling me in?"

He held the Wega Multi-Wonder up with pride. "I think I found a solution that'll make everyone happy…"

* * *

 _Three Months Later…_

*BRING – RING – RING – RING!*

The sound of laughter and overlapping voices reverberated along the halls of Gravity Falls High as Wendy walked out of the classroom. The heavy, book-crammed knapsack on her shoulder made her back ache slightly. She winced slightly as the strap rubbed up against her battle scar from the Count. Even the extra support given from her winter coat barely offered any additional relief.

 _"Damn it! I still don't get why that didn't go away with the rest of my cuts and scrapes. Maybe it's a messed-up memento from that freak job? Oh, well…"_

"Wendy!"

"Hey, Wendy!"

"What up, Corduroy?!"

A barrage of friendly greetings bought a forced beam to Wendy's dimpled face. She politely waved to the strangers as she walked by them. "How's it hanging, guys?"

As soon as she was in the clear, the redhead relaxed her false façade. She found herself caught off-guard by all the extra attention given. Usually, only her tight-knit group showed such devotion, considering she served as their de-facto leader. Wendy would often be cast aside by the rest of Gravity Falls' teenage community, save for the rare times she was able to pull off extraordinary pranks.

But as of late, random people – other kids she had never met before – would stop to say hello and offer good tidings. As strange as it felt, the constant positivity helped her readjust to normal everyday life.

 _"I guess it comes with the territory; as one of the so-called "fabled heroes of Weirdmaggedon.""_

Wendy rounded the corner, finding her motley crew together alongside a series of lockers. Robbie and Tambry stood arm in arm, giggling as each whispered sweet nothings into the other's ear. Nate and Lee were pushing back and forth in a friendly shoving match mild enough that the hall monitors would easily ignore.

"Hey, guys! Watch it!" Thompson knelt on the ground as he dug through his messy opened locker. "I'm trying to find my – " He stopped, being the first to spot his flannelled friend in the distance. "Wendy!"

The rest of the gang looked to their left and joined in on the warm welcome. "WENDY!"

"Hiya, everybody." The ginger modestly received. "How's the day been going for you all?"

"Terrible!" Thompson dropped a pile of hardcover books on the tiled floor. "Finals are coming up, and I've been slammed with so much homework…"

"All of us have, man…" Lee noted.

"But not all of us have been freaking out over it though." Nate compared.

"Us?" Tambry added. "We've been doing our own thing."

"Yeah…" Robbie said, snuggling his girlfriend closer. "You got that right."

*BRING – RING – RING – RING!*

"Warning bell!" Thompson cried in distress, scrambling to gather all of his books and papers. "There's only two more bells to go before we're late!"

"Chill out, Thompson." Nate said. "It's not really a big deal."

"Besides," Lee added. "There's only one more lousy period to go."

"Well," Robbie commented. "Except for Wendy-girl, there."

"Yeah," Tambry envied. "She was lucky enough to get homeroom for last period. It's a nice cool-down before going home, eh?"

"Actually," Wendy confessed, anxiously rubbing the back of her head. "I'm going to skip last period. I've got an important date to keep – "

"OOH!"

Her friends teased in perfect harmony as Wendy began to blush.

"Classic Wenders…" Nate elbowed Lee as they laughed.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" Robbie asked. "Do we know this lady-killer?"

"It's not that kind of date." Wendy explained. "It's…more like _a promise_. And yes, you do know him."

"We know him, huh?" Thompson wondered, rubbing his double chins as he narrowed down the possible suspects in his mind.

"I think I know who it is…" Tambry stated with great confidence.

"You – You do?" Wendy stuttered in shock.

"Yep." She nodded and crossed her arms. "And I say, good for you, Wen. Glad to hear you took my advice. Tell him I say hello."

"I will…"

*BRING – RING – RING – RING!*

"And thanks!" Wendy shouted over her shoulder as she raced in the other direction. "Remember, if anyone asks, you didn't see me!" She could hear the conversation continue as the halls knew silent as her fellow students returned to the various classrooms across the school.

"Aw, c'mon, Tambry!"

"Tell us who's Wendy's mystery man?"

"Yeah, spill the beans already!"

"No way, guys! Some things are just between us girls. And besides, Wendy'll kick my butt if I even give you a hint."

 _"You're damn skippy I would…"_ Wendy thought, happy to know that some parts of her life could remain protected in secrecy. Above her, the clock mounted into the upper part of the wall turned fifteen to three.

 _"He's probably already home by now. That's one of the things I miss about middle school: you get out a heck-ton earlier. And me? I'm stuck in this hole for another forty-five minutes…"_

Fleet-footed, Wendy made her way down the corridor, being careful not to alert any hall monitors that might be lurking around. At last, she arrived at her destination. Wendy quietly pushed open the swinging double doors leading into the school's gymnasium, slithering inside before anyone was the wiser.

The teenaged clerk found that the old rolling bleachers on each side of the gym were left open and extended. Wendy hustled up the right-end, figuring that no one would be able to see her at the top from the doorway.

 _"Besides, by the time the basketball team comes in to practice, I'll be long gone."_

Now safe from detection, Wendy threw her worn-out body down on the last seat, setting her lengthy legs across the following stair, comfortably crossing her boots at the ankles. She placed her backpack in the narrow space between steps; it made an excellent hiding place in case anyone came early and she needed to make a speedy getaway without her belongings.

Wendy opened her coat and reached into the inner pocket, remembering how this new tradition came to pass…

* * *

A few weeks had passed since the Pines twins returned home to Piedmont and Wendy was forced to go back to her mundane life devoid of any kind of excitement or adventure, ultimately signified by the start of another school year.

At first, it was a much-needed break from the insanity that had occurred within the last month. But after a couple of days, the usual boredom and loneliness that Wendy had feared had made itself known. Almost all signs of weirdness had vanished from her home, and without the influence of her newest friends, especially the small boy that admired her whole being, whom had managed to bring out the best and worst of the sleepy mountain town, she hadn't an idea when or if things would ever change again.

One day, as she came home from school, Wendy found a roughed-up brown package addressed to her left lying on her front porch. It wasn't too often that her family received mail, thanks in part to her father's hunting traps strategically placed across the Corduroy residence.

Judging from the bundle's condition, Wendy guessed that was exactly what happened in this case. Fortune had smiled upon her, as her father or younger brothers hadn't stumbled upon it, risking further injury as well as the invasion of her privacy.

Wendy tucked her mail under her arm and opened the front door. She sat on her couch and set the delivery on a nearby coffee table. Using her hatchet, the fifteen-year-old carefully sliced through the ropes and thick sealer tape binds the box together. By doing so, she released a mini-explosion of packaging peanuts that spread across her living room floor.

It seemed like whoever sent the package had the same fears about it being damaged or invaded before reaching her possession.

"Blegh!" She flicked her fingers repeatedly to break off their static cling. With her curiosity growing by the second, Wendy dug into the foamy mess, finding a smaller container wrapped with a piece of paper. She slid the rubber band binding them together off, noticing a sort of black-inked chicken scratch scribbled along the sheet. Upon taking a closer look, Wendy immediately recognized the handwriting:

 _"It's from Dipper!"_

In a frenzy, Wendy unfolded the note and quickly began to read it.

 _"Dear Wendy,  
Hope everything has been going okay for you since we left Gravity Falls. Mabel and I are already talking about how much we want to come back next summer. And if I can be honest, I already miss it. I already miss you…"_

She sat back deep into her couch, as his straight-forward sentiment struck her unexpectedly.

"I miss you, too, Dip..."

 _"Do you remember how I said I had an idea for that Wega Gaming System you bought me? Anyways, with Dad's help, we were able to find a video game collector here in California just outside of Piedmont. We sent him photos for conditioning, and the old geezer practically ran over there to take it off our hands for, as he said, "a worthwhile sum.""_

"Why, that conniver!" Wendy laughed, placing the Pine-Tree cap she took from Dipper on the couch's right arm. "Definitely makes a girl proud…" She kicked off her boots to make herself more comfortable. "Good for you, dork."

 _"Now, the Wega sits in a glass case in this guy's personal museum. It plays on loops all day long, and we don't have to worry about someone messing with it, and…you know…"_

"Nice." Wendy said aloud. "Guess that's a happy ending then; we didn't have to destroy it, and it gets to do what it does best."

 _"That's the reason I'm sending you this."_ The letter went on. _"After all, you're the one that bought it for me, so I didn't feel right keeping all of the money. I figured I should spend it on something we can both enjoy…"_

"Oh, jeez." Wendy was embarrassed. "That little softie…" She rested the note on her lap as she reached for the smaller box. "He didn't have to get me – " Her voice dried up upon seeing the gift in full. Her green eyes widened in shock. "But, this is – how could he afford – how much money did he get from that damned thing?" Wendy went back to Dipper's letter for answers.

 _"Hopefully, you don't think it's dumb or anything. I just thought this is something that we can do to, I don't know, stay connected. I know it's not the same as me being there, or you being here, but it might help with things until we can see each other again. And this way, we won't miss each other as much…"_

"Oh…Dipper…" Wendy wiped her eye, grateful again that she was home alone.

 _"Thanks again for everything this summer, Wendy. I'll be waiting for you whenever you get the chance…"_

 _L̶o̶v̶e̶ Love,  
Dipper."_

* * *

Wendy pulled Dipper's gift from her coat pocket – an expensive, state of the art portable game player called the Zony Ensemble, and pressed her index finger along the top, taking the machine out of sleep mode. Dipper had told her once that the system got its name because it was French for "together;" it was a neat little detail that Wendy thought fit their story perfectly.

As the Ensemble loaded, Wendy used her thumbs to rotate the dual-analog sticks attached to its face plate, and playfully clicked the button triggers at its top with her index fingers. The school was one of the only places in Gravity Falls with a decent Wi-Fi connection; the surrounding woods bogged down the signal at work or at home.

 _"If the boys found out I had this thing, I'd never see it again."_

Wendy found it nice to have something personal that she could keep secret from the rest of the world. It was made even more special as it provided an open window to someone that meant a great deal to her.

The system's home page appeared, displaying a variety of options against a sky blue backdrop. The chat alerts had been cleared, as she already caught up on all of the correspondence from her little dork. Both the MeTube and StreamNote apps were paused, allowing Wendy to pick up her shows and tunes at a later time. The sound was muted so that she would avoid being noticed in the empty gymnasium. A split second later, a gray bubble dropped down from the upper edge of the screen.

 _"Dipper has invited you to join a game:  
Fight Fighters Portable."_

"Meh." Wendy shifted her shoulders. "Can't say "no" to a classic."

Dipper had sent her a surplus of game recommendations that Wendy had picked and chosen from – each different and fun in their own way, but they always seemed to come back to Fight Fighters. It was the first video game they had played at the arcade, the one that had launched their own shared misadventures throughout time and space, and even now bound them together in spite of the large distance between them.

A following notice popped up from under the last:

 _"Do you accept the challenge?  
Yes/No?"_

"Heck yeah, I'll accept!" Wendy tapped her thumb against the "Yes" response on the touchscreen. All of the text disappeared as the home screen changed, its simple menu imagery becoming a twirling black and purple vortex.

 _"And here we go…"_ Wendy sunk deeper into the bleachers as the connection across cyberspace began. One final text prepped her before her online match:

 _"Game will be joined in 3…2…1…"_

 _"START!"_

 _(May 31, 2018 – December 24, 2019)_

* * *

 _Hey, everyone! Thanks again for reading this story to the end. And let me be the first to say, "PHEW!" I'd be lying if I didn't say I know this latest adventure took a long time to create. I'll apologize for that. But hopefully, it all ended up being worthwhile in the end._

 _So, a personal "thank you" to those who followed this tale from its launch a year and a half ago. You might be few, but it was your support that kept me going until the very end. And if anyone waited for this final chapter before digging in, I can't say I blame you._

 _Now, as I am asked anytime I wrap one of these "DBR" stories, I will go ahead and address it now: will there be a sequel? Will there be a DBR4?_

 _With all honesty, I'm going to say…no…at least by my hand._

 _Before you get started with the hate mail, I wish to explain. I have been doing these stories for the last seven years, and I loved every minute of it. Dipper and Wendy are still two of my favorite dorks, and chances are, they'll always be._

 _But my free time between real life is dwindling. It's getting harder to keep up a working schedule for such long stories like this one. And as those who know me have heard me state, I cannot stand unfinished stories, especially ones with a great angle, a good hook, and interesting tension._

 _I don't want to be a hypocrite to any of you, especially with this series. This is why I want to leave on a high note._

 _However, it does not mean this is the end for this particular Gravity Falls fanfic._

 _There are many people out there, several to whom I have conversed with, that are all hardcore gamers as they are Gravity Falls fans. I encourage you to use the universe and standards that I have created and branch upon that. Marvel me with your gaming interpretations when applied to a Gravity Falls lens!_

 _For this, I have left two gaming-related clues within this tale, in which if anyone with the proper gaming knowledge and writing know-how could easily pick up where I left off and continue on with this particular Wendy/Dipper universe._

 _I'll only give you this hint: there are now two "infectious" dangers that could threaten the world of Gravity Falls. Can you find them?_

 _And as for me, this is not my final story; as least not yet._

 _For I have traveled several miles before catching little sleep. I still have one last promise to keep…_


End file.
